Summary of results of studies on long-acting β2-agonists
| First author [ref.] | Sample size | Duration weeks | Drug | Dose µg | FEV1 | FVC | Diary symptoms | Night | Rescue | Dyspnoea | Exercise test | HRQoL | Exacerbations |
| Versus placebo | |||||||||||||
| Rennard [19] | 405 | 12 | Salmeterol | 50 | ↑ | ↑ | NS | NS | ↑ | NS | NS | NS | NS |
| van Noord [20] | 144 | 12 | Salmeterol | 50 | ↑ | NS | ↑ | NS | ↑ | – | NA | NA | NS |
| Mahler [21] | 411 | 12 | Salmeterol | 50 | ↑ | ↑ | NS | NS | ↑ | ↑ | NA | ↑ | ↑ |
| Boyd [22] | 674 | 16 | Salmeterol | 50 | ↑ | NA | ↑ | ↑ | ↑ | ↑ | NS | NA | NS |
| Boyd [22] | 674 | 16 | Salmeterol | 100 | ↑ | NA | ↑ | ↑ | ↑ | ↑ | NS | NA | NS |
| Grove [23] | 29 | 4 | Salmeterol | 50 | ↑ | NS | NA | NA | NA | ↑ | NA | NA | NS |
| Ulrik [24] | 63 | 4 | Salmeterol | 50 | NS | NS | ↑ | ↑ | ↑ | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Donohue [9] | 623 | 26 | Salmeterol | 50 | ↑ | ↑ | NA | NA | ↑ | NS | NA | NS | NA |
| Aalbers [25] | 687 | 12 | Formoterol | 6 | ↑ | NA | ↑ | NS | ↑ | NS | NS | NA | NS |
| Aalbers [25] | 687 | 12 | Formoterol | 12 | ↑ | NA | ↑ | NS | ↑ | NS | NS | NA | NS |
| Aalbers [25] | 687 | 12 | Formoterol | 24 | ↑ | NA | ↑ | ↑ | ↑ | ↑ | NS | NA | NS |
| Rossi [26] | 854 | 52 | Formoterol | 12 | ↑ | ↑ | NS | NA | ↑ | NA | NA | ↑ | ↑ |
| Rossi [26] | 854 | 52 | Formoterol | 24 | ↑ | ↑ | NS | NA | ↑ | NA | NA | ↑ | ↑ |
| Dahl [27] | 780 | 12 | Formoterol | 12 | ↑ | NA | ↑ | NA | ↑ | NA | NA | ↑ | NS |
| Dahl [27] | 780 | 12 | Formoterol | 24 | ↑ | NA | ↑ | NA | ↑ | NA | NA | ↑ | NS |
| Brusasco [10] | 1207 | 26 | Salmeterol | 50 | ↑ | NA | NA | NA | NA | ↑ | NA | NS | NS |
| Mahler [28] | 691 | 24 | Salmeterol | 50 | ↑ | NA | NA | ↑ | ↑ | NS | NA | NS | NA |
| Calverley [29] | 1465 | 52 | Salmeterol | 50 | NA | NA | NS | NS | ↑ | NA | NA | NS | ↑ |
| Szafranski [30] | 812 | 52 | Formoterol | 12 | ↑ | ↑ | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NS |
| Rutten-van Mölken [31] | 144 | 12 | Salmeterol | 50 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NS | NA |
| Jones [32] | 283 | 16 | Salmeterol | 50 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | ↑ | NA |
| Jones [32] | 283 | 16 | Salmeterol | 100 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NS | NA |
| Versus ipratropium | |||||||||||||
| Rennard [19] | 405 | 12 | Salmeterol | 50 | NS | NS | NS | NS | NS | NS | NS | NS | NS |
| Dahl [27] | 780 | 12 | Formoterol | 12 | ↑ | NA | ↑ | NA | ↑ | NA | NA | ↑ | NS |
| Dahl [27] | 780 | 12 | Formoterol | 24 | ↑ | NA | NS | NA | ↑ | NA | NA | ↑ | NS |
| Versus tiotropium | |||||||||||||
| Donohue [9] | 623 | 26 | Salmeterol | 50 | ↓ | ↓ | NA | NA | ↓ | ↓ | NA | NS | NA |
| Brusasco [10] | 1207 | 26 | Salmeterol | 50 | ↓ | NA | NA | NA | NA | NS | NA | NS | NS |
FEV1: forced expiratory volume in one second; FVC: forced vital capacity; HRQoL: health-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.