Tier 1 — highest

Twice daily N-acetylcysteine 600 mg for exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (PANTHEON): a randomised, double-blind placebo-controlled trial

Jin-Ping Zheng, Fu-Qiang Wen, Chun-Xue Bai, Huan-Ying Wan, Jian Kang, Ping Chen, Wan-Zhen Yao, Li-Jun Ma, Xia Li, Luca Raiteri, Marco Sardina, Yi Gao, Bai-Song Wang, Nan-Shan Zhong, PANTHEON study group
Lancet Respir Med 2014 2(3):187-194

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 24621680
DOI
10.1016/S2213-2600(13)70286-8
Funding
Funding disclosure was not located in the indexed record reviewed; consult the source publication for the full funding statement.
Competing interests
Competing-interest disclosure was not located in the indexed record reviewed; consult the source publication for the full declaration.

Study snapshot

DesignMulticenter randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial
ModelHuman
SamplePatients with moderate-to-severe COPD across 34 Chinese hospitals
InterventionNAC 600 mg twice daily versus placebo
Duration1 year
EndpointsCOPD exacerbations; Safety; Respiratory outcomes

What the study showed, in plain terms

Large pivotal oral NAC trial in moderate-to-severe COPD.

Key findings

The trial supports a role for 600 mg twice-daily NAC in reducing COPD exacerbation burden in the studied population.

What this study can and cannot tell us

Conducted in China with specific background-treatment patterns; results should not be generalized to healthy supplement users.

Editorial review

Reviewed by the Biohack Blueprint research team

Last verified

Dr. Khaled Mahmoud, MBBChCritical Care Medicine, Longevity Science & Editorial Direction Dr. Amr Yasser, PhDCardiometabolic, Musculoskeletal, Gut & Bioavailability Dr. Abdulla Mostafa, PhDCellular Senescence, Neurological, Mitochondrial & Brain-Ageing Biology