CHEST 2006: drug combo cuts death risk in COPD; statins slow lung decline in smokers

In the week starting October 21, the American College of Chest Physicians held CHEST 2006, its 72nd annual international scientific assembly, in Salt Lake City, Utah. 16,500 health care professionals from the USA and across the world attended to discuss research and the latest advances in cardiothoracic and respiratory medicine.

One of the hottest topics at CHEST 2006 was the multinational TORCH study, which showed that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients on a combination of inhaled salmeterol and fluticasone propionate reduced their risk of death up to 17.5%.

Study author Bartolome Celli stressed the importance of the findings, noting that "the combination therapy of salmeterol and fluticasone is the first intervention since oxygen therapy or smoking cessation to show improved survival in patients with COPD." He added that the improvement was as dramatic and significant as that produced by statins in cardiovascular mortality.