[Treatment of 106 chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases with shou er kang pill and high dose beclomethasone dipropionate aerosol].

Abstract

106 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) cases were divided into two groups, 53 cases treated with Shou Er Kang (SEK) pill (Kidney-reinforcing regimen) and high dose beclomethasone dipropionate inhaler, and 53 cases in the control group with high dose beclomethasone dipropionate aerosol alone. 64 patients were suffering from bronchial asthma and 42 patients from asthmatic bronchitis, sufficiently severe to be treated with inhaled corticosteroids. The results showed that the total effective rate was 100% and 96.9% in asthmatic patients of both groups; the total effective rates for asthmatic bronchitis patients were 85.7% in the SEK group and 52.4% in the control group. The Synacthen test showed that after the treatment, the adrenal cortex reserve power and secretive ability of the SEK group not only was intact but also improved markedly under high dose exogenous steroids. The adrenocortical secretive ability and reserve power of the control group were damaged with the inhalation of the newer steroids. The difference between the two groups was very significant (P less than 0.001); the relapse rate in the SEK group was 26.9%, but 40% in the control group. The results suggested that there were some occult disorders in COPD patients, especially asthmatic bronchitis patients at different levels on hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenocortical axis.