Therefore, the objective of this study is to determine the effect of reducing dead space with a pulmonary vasodilator on the intensity of breathlessness during exercise in patients with mild COPD.
Previous studies have shown that pulmonary vasodilators, which locally increase blood vessel radius, may improve gas exchange and reduce symptoms of breathlessness in patients with mild COPD. Mild COPD patients develop symptoms of intolerable breathlessness early in exercise compared with healthy individuals. This results in a considerable portion of the lung that does not participate in gas exchange, a phenomenon called physiologic dead space. However, multiple studies have shown that patients with mild disease already have significant damage to the small airways and blood vessels of the pulmonary system.
flow) as measured by traditional lung function tests. Most people with COPD are classified as having "mild" disease severity and may not have significantly impaired lung function (e.g. Why Should I Register and Submit Results?Ĭhronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive disease of the respiratory system that generally develops as a result of smoking.