More than 700 such patients enrolled in the study. They were randomly divided into 2 groups: one received the oxygen treatment; the other didn’t.
Participants were followed for 1 to 6 years. The researchers saw no differences between the treated and untreated groups in terms of their survival, symptoms, or quality of life.
“These results provide insight into a long-standing question about oxygen use in patients with COPD and moderately low levels of blood oxygen,” says Dr. James Kiley, a lung disease expert at NIH. “For the most part, this treatment did not improve or prolong life in study participants.”
People with COPD should speak with their health care providers about treatment options.
