Daily Antibiotic May Cut COPD Flare-ups

Taking a daily antibiotic can reduce flare-ups of a serious lung disease, new research finds. The study included 1,142 people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This disease causes shortness of breath and declining lung function. At least 8 out of 10 cases are caused by smoking. People in the study had advanced COPD. They were inclined to have flare-ups, with worse symptoms. During flare-ups, people tend to cough and wheeze more and have more trouble breathing. Frequent flare-ups also increase the risk of death. People in the study were randomly divided into 2 groups. Everyone took a daily pill. For one group, this was azithromycin, an antibiotic. The other group received placebo (fake) pills. After a year, people taking the real drug were 27% less likely to have flare-ups than those taking the placebo pills. They had an average of 1.48 flare-ups in a year.