Effects of different doses of N-acetylcysteine on lung function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a meta-analysis
- 1The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hang Zhou, Zhejiang Province People’s Republic Of China
- 2Department of Geriatrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (Xinhua Hospital of Zhejiang Province), Hangzhou, Zhejiang People’s Republic Of China
Abstract
Purpose: This meta-analysis seeks to examine the impact of different dosages of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on pulmonary function in individuals with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and to clarify the dose-response relationship.
Patients and methods: Systematic searches were performed in PubMed, the Wanfang Database, Cochrane Library, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) for pertinent randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published from 2000 to 2024. Research examining various dosages of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) for the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was incorporated. The methodological quality of the selected literature was evaluated utilizing the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. This Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan software(version 5.4). The primary outcomes were lung function parameters, including forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and the FEV1/FVC ratio.
Results: High-dose NAC(≥ 1200 mg/d)demonstrated significant improvements in FEV1,FVC, and the FEV1/FVC ratio, whereas low-dose NAC(<1200 mg/d)showed nonsignificant effects. Substantial heterogeneity was observed for some outcomes. However, the efficacy of the high-dose regimen remained robust following sensitivity analysis.
Conclusion: The findings of this study provide novel evidence supporting the differential effects of various NAC doses on improving lung function parameters in COPD patients. They suggest that high-dose NAC(≥ 1200 mg/d)may represent a preferred dosing strategy for enhancing lung function in COPD.
PROSPERO registration number: CRD420251154781.
Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1186/s12890-026-04523-5.
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BibTeX
@article{wang2026effects,
title = {{Effects of different doses of N-acetylcysteine on lung function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a meta-analysis}},
author = {Yifan Wang and Xiaomin Chen and Jie Huang},
journal = {BMC Pulmonary Medicine},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1186/s12890-026-04523-5},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s12890-026-04523-5},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Effects of different doses of N-acetylcysteine on lung function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a meta-analysis
AU - Yifan Wang
AU - Xiaomin Chen
AU - Jie Huang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/30
JO - BMC Pulmonary Medicine
DO - 10.1186/s12890-026-04523-5
UR - https://doi.org/10.1186/s12890-026-04523-5
AB - Purpose: This meta-analysis seeks to examine the impact of different dosages of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on pulmonary function in individuals with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and to clarify the dose-response relationship. Patients and methods: Systematic searches were performed in PubMed, the Wanfang Database, Cochrane Library, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) for pertinent randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published from 2000 to 2024. Research examining various dosages of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) for the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was incorporated. The methodological quality of the selected literature was evaluated utilizing the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. This Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan software(version 5.4). The primary outcomes were lung function parameters, including forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and the FEV1/FVC ratio. Results: High-dose NAC(≥ 1200 mg/d)demonstrated significant improvements in FEV1,FVC, and the FEV1/FVC ratio, whereas low-dose NAC(<1200 mg/d)showed nonsignificant effects. Substantial heterogeneity was observed for some outcomes. However, the efficacy of the high-dose regimen remained robust following sensitivity analysis. Conclusion: The findings of this study provide novel evidence supporting the differential effects of various NAC doses on improving lung function parameters in COPD patients. They suggest that high-dose NAC(≥ 1200 mg/d)may represent a preferred dosing strategy for enhancing lung function in COPD. PROSPERO registration number: CRD420251154781. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1186/s12890-026-04523-5.
SN - 1471-2466
ER -