Indacaterol therapy in moderate-to-severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: findings from a single-center primary care cohort

Figures & data

Table 1 Baseline demographics and clinical characteristics of included patients

	n=15
Age, years
Mean (SD), range	64 (7.7), 52–74
Sex, n (%)
Male	10 (66.6)
Female	5 (33.3)
Mean (SD) duration of COPD, years, range	6.3 (6.0), 1–22.5
COPD severity, n (%)
Mild	1 (6.7)
Moderate	9 (60)
Severe	5 (33.3)
Very severe	–
Smoking status, n (%)
Ex-smoker	12 (80)
Current smoker	3 (20)
Mean (SD) preswitching postbronchodilator FEV1% predicted	54.2 (15.3)
COPD exacerbation history, n (%)
0	–
1	3 (20)
≥2	8 (72.7)
Indication for switching, n (%)
Poor symptom control	15 (100)
Frequent (≥3/year) exacerbations	6 (40)
Unsuitable for ICS	3 (20)
Preswitching agents, n (%)
SAMA/SABA	4 (26.7)
LAMA	3 (20)
LABA/ICS	4 (26.7)
LAMA + LABA/ICS	4 (26.7)
Postswitching agents, n (%)
Indacaterol	3 (20)
Indacaterol + LAMA	11 (73.3)
Indacaterol + LAMA + LABA/ICS	1 (6.7)
Mean (SD) duration of treatment postswitching, months, range	17.3 (6.1), 12–27

Abbreviations: SD, standard deviation; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; LABA, long-acting β₂-agonist; SABA, short-acting β₂-agonist; LAMA, long-acting muscarinic antagonist (tiotropium); SAMA, short-acting muscarinic antagonist; ICS, inhaled corticosteroids; FEV₁, forced expiratory volume in 1 second as a percentage of forced vital capacity.

Figure 1 (A) Spirometry (FEV₁% predicted) prior to switching and after a minimum of 12 months of indacaterol treatment. Complete spirometry data were available for 14 patients. Prior to switching, the mean (SD) FEV₁% predicted across all these patients was 54.5% (15.8%), and at the last assessment (after a minimum of 12 months on indacaterol) 57.1% (20.4%). No statistical differences in pre- and postswitching spirometry were seen, either for the cohort as a whole (P=0.39) or for comparisons based upon disease severity. (B) Individual percentage change in FEV₁% predicted after a minimum of 12 months of indacaterol. Changes were seen on an individual patient basis. In five patients, notable improvement in spirometry was seen, while in five patients deterioration was observed; in four patients, FEV₁ was relatively unchanged.

Abbreviations: FEV₁, forced expiratory volume in 1 second as a percentage of forced vital capacity; SD, standard deviation.

Figure 2 (A) Mean annual exacerbation rates immediately prior to and after a minimum of 12 months of indacaterol therapy. Exacerbation frequency was available in 13 patients. (range 0–10, mean 3.31±0.87, SD=3.15). Following switching to indacaterol, mean exacerbation rate fell significantly (range 0–3, mean 1.54±0.31, SD=1.13; P=0.02). In six patients classified as suffering frequent (three or more per year) exacerbations, mean exacerbation rate fell significantly from 5.43±1.07 to 2.43±0.2 after 12 months treatment with indacaterol (P=0.02). *P=0.02. (B) Individual annual exacerbation rates in the 12 months prior to switching and the last 12 months of indacaterol treatment. On an individual patient basis, a reduction in frequency of acute exacerbations was seen in nine of 13 patients (69%).

Abbreviation: SD, standard deviation.