Nicotine treatment may reduce disease burden in active pulmonary sarcoidosis

Preliminary findings of a pilot study, suggest that treatment with a nicotine transdermal patch may reduce disease burden in patients with active pulmonary sarcoidosis, according to a study.

In this double-blind, controlled pilot trial, 50 consecutive adults with active pulmonary sarcoidosis were randomized to receive daily nicotine transdermal patch treatment (21 mg daily) or placebo patch treatment for 24 weeks.

From baseline to week 26 when the treatment groups were compared, treatment with nicotine was associated with a clinically significant improvement (approximately 2.1%, 70 ml) of forced vital capacity (FVC). In the placebo group, a similar decrease in FVC was noted, with a net increase of 140 ml when comparing those in the nicotine versus placebo groups.

There was a marginal improvement in Forced expiratory volume in one second and Fatigue Assessment Score in the nicotine-treated group compared to the placebo group.

No serious adverse events or evidence of nicotine addiction were reported.

Reference
Crouser ED, Smith RM, Culver DA, et al. A pilot randomized trial of transdermal nicotine for pulmonary sarcoidosis. Chest. 2021:S0012-3692(21)00962-4. DOI: 10.1016/j.chest.2021.05.031.