Summary of results of studies on long-acting anticholinergic agents
| First author [ref.] | Sample size | Duration weeks | Drug | Dose µg | FEV1 | FVC | Diary symptoms | Night | Rescue | Dyspnoea | Exercise test | HRQoL | Exacerbations |
| Versus placebo | |||||||||||||
| Littner [6] | 169 | 4 | Tiotropium | 4.5 | ↑ | ↑ | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Littner [6] | 169 | 4 | Tiotropium | 9 | ↑ | ↑ | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Littner [6] | 169 | 4 | Tiotropium | 18 | ↑ | ↑ | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Littner [6] | 169 | 4 | Tiotropium | 36 | ↑ | ↑ | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Casaburi [7] | 470 | 13 | Tiotropium | 18 | ↑ | ↑ | ↑ | ↑ | ↑ | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Casaburi [8] | 921 | 52 | Tiotropium | 18 | ↑ | ↑ | ↑ | NA | ↑ | ↑ | NA | ↑ | ↑ |
| Donohue [9] | 623 | 26 | Tiotropium | 18 | ↑ | ↑ | NA | NA | ↑ | ↑ | NA | ↑ | NA |
| Brusasco [10] | 1207 | 26 | Tiotropium | 18 | ↑ | NA | NA | NA | NA | ↑ | NA | ↑ | ↑ |
| Versus ipratropium | |||||||||||||
| Vincken [11] | 535 | 52 | Tiotropium | 18 | ↑ | ↑ | NA | NA | ↑ | ↑ | NA | ↑ | ↑ |
| Versus salmeterol | |||||||||||||
| Donohue [9] | 623 | 26 | Tiotropium | 18 | ↑ | ↑ | NA | NA | ↑ | ↑ | NA | NS | NA |
| Brusasco [10] | 1207 | 26 | Tiotropium | 18 | ↑ | NA | NA | NA | NA | NS | NA | NS | NS |
FEV1: forced expiratory volume in one second; FVC: forced vital capacity; HRQoL: heath-related quality of life; NS: no significant benefit versus comparator; NA: not assessed; ↑: significant benefit versus comparator group (e.g. reduced dyspnoea, increased exercise tolerance, etc.); ↓: significant inferiority versus comparator group. Reproduced, with modifications, from [5] with permission from the publisher.