Roflumilast role in the prevention of acute exacerbation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. A narrative review

Acute exacerbations in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) is the leading cause of mortality in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Even today, the scientific world has not found a therapeutic strategy effective enough to drastically reduce the annual rate of exacerbations. This narrative review aims to provide an overview of the available efficacy data of roflumilast, a phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitors (PDE4) inhibitor, in preventing COPD. Seven clinical trials were analyzed and most of these reported a statistically significant increase in forced expiratory volume (FEV1) and a statistically significant reduction in the annual rate of exacerbations compared with placebo.