Regadenoson use in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: the state of current knowledge

Stress testing is challenging in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Functional capacity is generally decreased in this patient population, limiting patients' ability to achieve physiologic stress through exercise. Additionally, due to emphysematous changes, COPD patients tend to have poor acoustic windows that impair the quality and therefore diagnostic accuracy of stress echocardiography techniques. Pharmacologic stress myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) testing is also problematic, particularly due to the concern for adenosine-induced bronchoconstriction with conventional vasodilator stress agents. Regadenoson, a selective A2A adenosine receptor agonist, has gained popularity due to its ease of administration and improved patient experience in the general population. The literature describing the experience with regadenoson in COPD patients, though limited, is rapidly growing and reassuring. This review summarizes the pharmacology and clinical application of this novel stress agent and presents the available data on the safety and tolerability of its use in COPD patients.