ABSTRACT
Purpose: To present the preliminarily findings regarding the effects of a herbal medicine, Ninjin'yoeito, on comorbid frailty and sarcopenia in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Patients and Methods: Patients with COPD (GOLD II or higher) and fatigue were randomly assigned to Group A (n = 28; no medication for 12 weeks, followed by 12-week administration) or B (n= 25; 24-week continuous administration). Visual analog scale (VAS) symptoms of fatigue, the COPD assessment test (CAT), and the modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) Dyspnea Scale were examined. Physical indices such asknee extension leg strength and walking speed, skeletal muscle mass index (SMI), and respiratory function test were also measured. Results: VAS fatigue scales in Group B significantly improved after 4, 8, and 12 weeks compared to those in Group A (each p<0.001, respectively). Right and left knee extension leg strength in Group B significantly improved after 12 weeks compared to that in Group A (p=0.042 and p=0.037, respectively). The 1-s walking speed for continued to increase significantly over 24 weeks in Group B (p=0.016, p<0.001, p<0.001, p=0.004, p<0.001, and p<0.001 after 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, and 24 weeks, respectively); it also significantly increased after the administration of Ninjin'yoeito in Group A. In Group B, the SMI significantly increased at 12 weeks in patients with sarcopenia (p=0.025). The CAT scores in Group B significantly improved after 12 weeks compared to those in Group A (p=0.006). The mMRC scores in Group B also significantly improved after 8 and 12 weeks compared to those in Group A (p= 0.045 and p <0.001, respectively). The changes in %FEV1.0 in Group B were significantly improved at 12 and 24 weeks (p=0.039 and p=0.036, respectively). Conclusion: Overall, Ninjin'yoeito significantly improved patients' quality of life, physical activity, muscle mass, and possibly lung function, suggesting that Ninjin'yoeito may improve frailty and sarcopenia in patients with COPD.
Subject(s)
Drugs, Chinese Herbal , Exercise Tolerance , Frailty , Lung , Muscle Strength , Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive , Sarcopenia , Humans , Sarcopenia/physiopathology , Sarcopenia/diagnosis , Sarcopenia/epidemiology , Sarcopenia/drug therapy , Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/physiopathology , Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/diagnosis , Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/drug therapy , Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/complications , Male , Female , Aged , Treatment Outcome , Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use , Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects , Middle Aged , Muscle Strength/drug effects , Lung/physiopathology , Lung/drug effects , Time Factors , Exercise Tolerance/drug effects , Frailty/diagnosis , Frailty/physiopathology , Frailty/epidemiology , Comorbidity , Fatigue/physiopathology , Fatigue/drug therapy , Fatigue/diagnosis , Recovery of Function , Functional Status , Frail Elderly , Walking SpeedABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Dynamic hyperinflation (DH) is sometimes observed and is associated with impaired daily life activities of asthma. We assessed the relationship between DH and asthma biomarkers (blood eosinophil, fractional exhaled nitric oxide (F eNO) and serum periostin) in patients with asthma. METHODS: Fifty patients with stable asthma were prospectively recruited and underwent blood test, F eNO measurement, spirometry and metronome-paced tachypnoea (MPT) test to assess DH. In MPT tests, inspiratory capacity (IC) was measured at baseline and after 30â s of MPT with breathing frequencies of 20, 30 and 40â breaths·min-1. DH was assessed by the decline of IC from baseline, and maximal IC reduction ≥10% was considered as positive DH. RESULTS: Thirty patients (60%) showed positive DH. Patients with positive DH showed higher serum periostin levels (107.0±30.7â ng·mL-1) than patients with negative DH (89.7±23.7) (p=0.04). Patients in Global Initiative for Asthma treatment steps 4-5 (n=19) showed higher serum periostin levels (p=0.01) and more severe IC reduction after MPT (p<0.0001) than patients in steps 1-3 (n=31). Maximal IC reduction after MPT was significantly correlated with asthma control test score (r=-0.28, p=0.05), forced expiratory volume in 1â s (r=-0.56, p<0.0001), and serum periostin levels (r=0.41, p=0.003). CONCLUSION: Serum periostin may have the possibility to reflect DH in patients with stable asthma.