How Effective is Azithromycin for Treating Cough in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis?
Low dose azithromycin for cough did not show significant improvements compared with placebo in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Researchers conducted a double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled cross-over clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02173145) treating patients with IPF with either azithromycin or placebo for 12 weeks, followed by the other treatment. Outcomes of interest included cough-related quality of life (measured by the Leicester Cough Questionnaire), cough severity (measured using Visual Analog Scale), health-related quality of life (assessed by the St. Georges Respiratory Questionnaire), and objective cough frequency. Among the 25 participants recruited, 23 were men and the mean age was 67 years. Additionally, mean forced vital capacity was 65 percent predicted, and diffusion capacity 43 percent predicted at baseline. Following the treatment phases, there was no significant change in Leicester Cough Questionnaire and Visual Analog Scale scores with azithromycin or placebo.