Breath and Bottle: Evaluating Pharmacotherapy for Alcohol Use Disorder on COPD Exacerbation Outcomes

The role of pharmacotherapy for alcohol use disorder (AUD) in mitigating COPD exacerbations remains underexplored. This study aims to evaluate the impact of AUD pharmacotherapy on COPD-related clinical outcomes.

A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 635 COPD patients with comorbid AUD. Patients were categorized into two groups based on whether they received medication for AUD (MAUD group) or not (no-MAUD group). Data on demographics, COPD severity, exacerbation rates, and AUD treatment were extracted from electronic medical records.

Individuals in the MAUD group (n=229) exhibited a substantially reduced frequency of COPD exacerbations when compared to those in the non-MAUD group (n=406), with a significant difference observed (P<0.001). Additionally, the MAUD group experienced a longer duration before the first exacerbation event (P<0.001).

Pharmacotherapy for AUD appears to have a protective effect against the occurrence of COPD exacerbations and improved clinical outcomes in patients with comorbid AUD. These findings suggest that AUD treatment should be considered as part of a comprehensive management strategy for COPD patients with AUD.