Effect of Megestrol Acetate and Testosterone on Body Composition and Hormonal Responses in COPD Cachexia.

Underweight chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients with involuntary weight loss have a poor prognosis; no effective therapy is currently available. We conducted the first clinical trial seeking to determine whether combination therapy with an appetite stimulant and an anabolic steroid would have beneficial effects on body composition for patients with COPD cachexia. We conducted a 12-week pilot study in which 4 men and 5 women (age 64±10 y, forced expiratory volume in 1 second [FEV] 31±9 %pred.