Efficacy of N-Acetyl-L-cysteine and Budesonide/ Formoterol Combination for the Treatment of Chinese Patients with Bronchiectasis and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Overlab
Objective: The efficacy and safety of N-Acetyl-L-cysteine and budesonide/
formoterol (B/F) combination in the management of bronchiectasis and chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) overlab (BCO) in Chinese patients were
investigated in this study. Methods: Between June2018 and June2019,118 patients
with BCO were included and divided into an intervention group and a control group,
who were treated for12 weeks. Sixty patients in the intervention group underwent
N-Acetyl-L-cysteine and B/F combination, while58 patients in the control group
received budesonide/formoterol alone. Therapeutic effect indexes included severity
of dyspnea on exertion (DOE), lung function measured by the forced expiratory
volume in1 second (FEV1), quality of life measured by the St. George’s Respiratory
Questionnaire (SGRQ), and adverse events during treatment. All outcomes were
measured at the end of12-week treatment. Results: The clinical effective rate of the two groups was more than90% without significant difference, while the intervention group
showed a significantly higher apparent efficiency rate (p<0.01).The intervention group
showed greater efficacy in DOE (p<0.01), lung function (p<0.01), and quality of life
(p<0.01), compared with control group at the end of12-week treatment. In addition,
adverse events in both groups were similar and tolerable. Conclusion: The results
suggest that N-Acetyl-L-cysteine and B/F combination or B/F was effective, while the
N-Acetyl-L-cysteine and B/F combination shows more effective for patients with BCO.