Sildenafil for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive Clinical Trial

Official title: A Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Crossover Study of Sildenafil in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

The purpose of this study is to determine if sildenafil improves the exercise capacity and lung function of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Clinical Trial Description

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) suffer from impaired exercise capacity and quality-of-life, largely related to shortness of breath. Many of the therapies currently available for COPD are aimed at improving these factors. Exercise capacity is limited in part by high blood pressure in the blood vessels in the lungs. Sildenafil, also known as Viagra, is an FDA-approved therapy for male erectile dysfunction. One of its effects is to relax (or open) the lung vessels, thereby lowering the blood pressure in the lungs. We hypothesize that sildenafil will result in an improvement in exercise capacity, quality-of-life, and shortness of breath.

Enrolled subjects will receive sildenafil or placebo for 4 weeks followed by exercise tests, breathing tests, and administration of quality-of-life questionnaires. Subjects will then receive placebo or sildenafil (whichever one they did not receive for the first 4 weeks) for another 4 weeks, followed by the same testing. ;

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Crossover Assignment, Masking: Double Blind (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator), Primary Purpose: Treatment

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Chronic Disease
• Emphysema
• Lung Diseases
• Lung Diseases, Obstructive
• Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive

• NCT number: NCT00104637
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: Kawut, Steven, MD
• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 2
• Start date: February 2005
• Completion date: November 2008