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News
A supplement duo may help COPD patients feel less wiped out. A randomized trial found that adding oral L-arginine plus liposomal vitamin C to a structured pulmonary rehabilitation program significantly reduced fatigue in patients with advanced COPD and chronic respiratory failure — outperforming placebo by a clinically meaningful margin. The findings suggest the combo could be a useful add-on to standard rehab care.
For patients with advanced COPD and chronic respiratory failure on long-term oxygen therapy, fatigue is a persistent and debilitating challenge. A new randomized controlled trial out of Italy suggests that adding oral L-arginine plus liposomal vitamin C to a structured pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) program could meaningfully ease that burden — more so than rehab alone.
The 28-day trial enrolled 98 patients across 10 rehabilitation facilities. Participants received either the supplement combo (1.66 g L-arginine + 500 mg liposomal vitamin C) or a placebo twice daily, alongside a rigorous PR program of 22+ supervised aerobic, resistance, and flexibility sessions with nutritional and psychosocial support. Both groups saw fatigue improve, but the supplement group pulled ahead by a statistically and clinically significant margin on the Fatigue Severity Scale.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: COPD-related fatigue is notoriously hard to treat, and pulmonary rehab is already the gold standard. Finding a safe, low-cost adjunct that amplifies rehab benefits — even modestly — could meaningfully improve quality of life for millions of patients living with advanced disease.
