News Release

New study explores pulmonary rehabilitation in women with emphysema and chronic bronchitis

REI investigator explores anabolic drug therapy

Peer-Reviewed Publication

LA BioMed

Torrance, Calif. (April 22, 2002) – New advances in pulmonary rehabilitation research are holding promise of improving the quality of life for those affected by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which is the nation’s 4th leading cause of mortality. Harbor-UCLA Research & Education Institute (REI) principal investigator Richard Casaburi, Ph.D., M.D. is exploring anabolic drug therapy for women suffering from emphysema and chronic bronchitis, both forms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Dr. Casaburi postulates that anabolic drug therapy (testosterone) can stimulate muscle growth, and improve strength in women with emphysema and chronic bronchitis. It is hoped that in the near future, this may become routine therapy for COPD patients. This study is funded by the University of California’s Tobacco Related Disease Research Program.

COPD is an overwhelmingly smoking-related disease, and the only leading cause of death for which the mortality rates are rising. Although mortality rates are stabilizing among men, they continue to rise among women. Up until recently, it has been acknowledged as a disease of irreversible airflow obstruction with limited therapeutic options. More effective therapies for women suffering from this disease are now being sought.

Long thought of as a “man’s disease”, COPD will afflict as many women as men by 2020. Dr. Casaburi hypothesizes that developing practical methods to reverse muscle dysfunction will improve quality of life and decrease health care resource utilization. His previous study of men with COPD demonstrated that testosterone supplementation acted much like a strength-training program, increasing muscle size and weight lifting capability. Although testosterone is often thought of as a “man’s hormone”, it is an important determinant of muscle function in women as well. Since testosterone levels in women with COPD are abnormally low, modest doses may yield appreciable improvements in muscle strength and functionality, according to Dr. Casaburi. (more)

“Over 15 million Americans are affected every year by chronic bronchitis and emphysema, severely impacting their lives,” Dr. Casaburi said. “Although patients whose lungs are damaged by COPD suffer from a number of afflictions, exercise intolerance is often the thing that bothers COPD patients the most. Pulmonary rehabilitation is the standard of care for COPD patients. We are focusing on ways to supplement traditional rehabilitation programs. We are working on a number of approaches, focusing on strategies that will benefit patients in the short term. Building muscle strength through therapy with anabolic drugs is a very promising approach, “ he added.

Dr. Casaburi is an internationally recognized expert in COPD, muscle physiology, exercise testing and interpretation, and rehabilitative therapy. He is President of the Pulmonary Education and Research Foundation, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the scientific advancement of respiratory disease research. In 2001, he was appointed to the Alvin Grancell-Mary Burns Research Chair in the Rehabilitative Sciences, REI’s first endowed chair. He is also the medical director of the Rehabilitation Clinical Trials Center at REI – a 4,000 square foot facility that is dedicated to research in improving techniques to rehabilitate patients with chronic diseases.

Harbor-UCLA Research & Education Institute, located on the campus of Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, California, is a leading independent, not-for-profit biomedical research institute with an international reputation for scientific discovery, the training of physician-scientists and the provision of community service programs. It is an affiliate of both the UCLA School of Medicine and the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and has an annual budget of $58 million. The Institute traces its roots back to 1952, when researchers and physicians joined forces with the UCLA School of Medicine on the campus of what was then known as Harbor General Hospital to conduct a handful of research studies. Today, more than 1,000 research projects and clinical trials are being conducted at REI, advancing scientific understanding in order to improve medical outcomes and promote innovation in such areas as autoimmune disorders, cancer, cardiovascular disease, developmental disorders and other pediatric health problems, diabetes, infectious disease, inherited disorders, male contraception, vaccine evaluation and research, and various aspects of women’s health.

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Harbor-UCLA REI Contact:
Barbara Kerr
Director of Communications and Public Affairs
310.222.2820


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