Can a heart drug combo help COPD lungs?
NCT ID NCT05567562
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tested whether taking two common blood thinners (aspirin and clopidogrel) for two weeks can improve blood flow in the lungs of smokers with COPD. Fifteen current or former smokers with and without COPD participated. The goal was to see changes on a special CT scan, not to treat symptoms.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- aspirin and clopidogrel (dual anti-platelet therapy)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a new way to improve blood flow in the lungs for people with COPD.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small, early-phase study with only 15 participants. It is designed to measure changes in blood flow, not to prove any treatment benefit. Results may not apply to all COPD patients.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Phase 2
Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.
- Participants
-
15 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
Mar 2024
- Finished
-
Feb 2025
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
50 to 80 years
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria - COPD Cases: * COPD (FEV1/FVC \< 0.7, FVC \>= LLN), GOLD Stage I/II/III (FEV1 \>= 40%) * Current or former smoker of at least 10 pack years Inclusion Criteria - Controls: * Normal lung function (FEV1/FVC \>= 0.7, FEV1 and FVC \>= LLN) * Current or former smoker of at least 10 pack years Exclusion Criteria: * Platelet count \< 150,000/dL or self-report of a bleeding disorder; * Regular use of aspirin, clopidogrel or another antiplatelet medication; * Allergy to aspirin, clopidogrel, albuterol or iodine/IV contrast; * BMI \> 35; * History of intracranial hemorrhage, severe GI bleed or other life-threatening bleed; * Use of blood thinner (e.g. warfarin, lovenox or novel oral anti-coagulants); * Continuous use of supplemental oxygen at home; * Regular use of an NSAID; * Daily use of oral steroids, theophylline, roflumilast, or loop diuretics; * History of organ transplant or autoimmune disease on systemic therapy (rheumatoid arthritis, lupus); * Use of a biologic medication with regular injections; * Other current lung disease (interstitial lung disease, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, asthma); * IV drug use within the last year; * History of lung surgery to remove part of the lung; * Known bullae or advanced destructive emphysema in more than 1/3 of the lungs; * Treatment for cancer (systemic therapy or surgical/radiation within the thorax) in the last 12 months; * Known diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension; * Known systolic heart failure (RV or LV EF \< 40%); * Acute or chronic renal insufficiency (estimated glomerular filtration rate \[GFR\] \<60 mL/min/1.73 m2 or self-report). GFR will be calculated using the CKD-EPI equation; * Current or planned pregnancy in the next year; * Regular marijuana smoking; * Exacerbation of respiratory symptoms within the previous 6 weeks, such as that requiring hospitalization, oral prednisone or antibiotics to control symptoms, or longer and not yet returned to baseline; and * Chest, abdominal or eye surgery, or a heart attack or stroke, within the last 3 months.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States
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