The Impact of Udenafil on Exercise Capacity in Severe Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Patients

The Impact of Udenafil on Exercise Capacity in Severe COPD Patients

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a serious complication of COPD which is associated with shorter survival, more frequent exacerbation, and increased use of health resources. There is no effective pharmacological treatment for COPD-associated PH. Therefore, the investigators wanted to evaluate the effect of udenafil, a phosphodiesterase- 5 (PDE-5) inhibitor, on exercise capacity of severe COPD patients.

Study design

• prospective, single arm, open-label study
• Udenafil 50mg qd po for 8 weeks

Inclusion Criteria:

• Severe COPD who showed post-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) less than 50% of predicted value

Exclusion Criteria:

• Acute exacerbation within 4 weeks of the study entry
• Coronary heart disease
• History of adverse event on PDE-5 inhibitors