To investigate whether tiotropium (Spiriva) improves exercise endurance in patients with COPD

Inclusion criteria:

Male or female patients with a clinical diagnosis of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) based on American Thoracic Society (ATS) guidelines with:

• Relatively stable, moderate to severe airway obstruction with an Forced Expiratory Volume in One Second (FEV1) less than or equal to 65% of predicted normal (determined at Visit 1).
• Presence of lung hyperinflation as demonstrated by Functional Residual Capacity determined by body plethysmography (TGV(FRC)) greater than or equal to 120% of predicted normal (determined at Visit 1).
• Age greater or equal to 40 years and less than or equal to 75 years.
• A cigarette smoking history of more than ten pack-years. A pack-year was defined as the equivalent of smoking one pack of cigarettes per day for a year.
• Able to perform all specified procedures and able to maintain all necessary records during the study period as required in the protocol.
• Able to inhale the trial medication from the HandiHaler device.

Exclusion criteria:

• Patients with a significant disease other than COPD. A significant disease was defined as a disease which, in the opinion of the investigator, may have put the patient at risk because of participation in the trial or may have influenced the results of the trial or the patient's ability to participate in the trial.
• Patients with clinically significant abnormal baseline hematology, blood chemistry or urinalysis. If the abnormality defined a disease listed as an exclusion criterion, the patient was excluded.
• Patients with Serum Glutamic Oxaloacetic Transaminase (SGOT) ≥1.5 x ULN (upper limit of normal range), Serum Glutamic Pyruvic Transaminase (SGPT) ≥1.5 x ULN bilirubin ≥1.5 x ULN or creatinine ≥1.5 x ULN were excluded regardless of the clinical condition.
• Patients with a recent history (i.e., 1 year or less) of myocardial infarction.
• Patients with a recent history (i.e., 3 years or less) of heart failure, pulmonary edema, or patients with cardiac arrhythmia (with or without symptoms) or any contraindication to exercise.
• Patients requiring the regular use of daytime oxygen therapy.
• Patients with known active tuberculosis.
• Patients with a history of cancer within the last 5 years. Patients with treated basal cell carcinoma were eligible.
• Patients with a history of life-threatening pulmonary obstruction, or a history of cystic fibrosis or bronchiectasis.
• Patients who had undergone thoracotomy with pulmonary resection. Patients with a history of thoracotomy for other reasons were evaluated as per the first exclusion criterion (i.e., significant disease other than COPD).
• Patients with an upper respiratory tract infection in the 6 weeks prior to the Screening Visit (Visit 1) or during the run-in period.
• Further exclusion criteria apply.