Exacerbation-free COPD: a goal too far?

The seventh Lund COPD workshop focused on exacerbations. As chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) progresses, exacerbations, events characterized by acute worsening of symptoms, increase in frequency and severity. Patients fear their occurrence, as they compromise function and quality of life, may require admission to the hospital, and can be fatal. There are therapies that improve outcome of exacerbations, such as antibiotics and corticosteroids. More importantly, some treatments, such as regular inhaled bronchodilator therapy (particularly with long-acting agents), inhaled corticosteroids, and vaccination against influenza virus, can partially prevent attacks. However, exacerbations remain a challenge, as no therapy effectively banishes them. The current symposium, "Exacerbation-free COPD, a goal too far?", was designed to address this problem. The challenge addressed by the participants was whether more effective treatments could be developed that could further eliminate COPD exacerbations.