For people with COPD, thick mucus can be a daily struggle. Some have tried inhaling salt to loosen it, but a new study suggests it may not help.
Researchers tested a single dose of dry salt (40 mg) inhaled from a powder device in 25 patients with mild to moderate COPD. Most had excess mucus. After one hour and again after two hours, the salt did not improve mucociliary clearance, the lungs' natural way of sweeping out mucus, compared to an empty placebo.
The results were nearly identical: about 11% clearance at one hour and 15% at two hours for both groups, with no statistical difference.
The trial was originally planned for 35 patients but stopped early because of the COVID-19 pandemic. That makes it too small to detect a real effect, if one exists. The authors caution that the non-significant findings do not prove the salt has no benefit, just that this study couldn't find one.
The salt was well tolerated with no acute side effects. But for now, this approach lacks evidence.
