Report Finds COPD Inhalers Increase Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke

Two inhaler drugs commonly prescribed to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have been shown to greatly increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The drugs are tiotropium, which is sold under the brand Spiriva Handihaler, and ipratropium, which is available as a generic and under the brand name Atrovent. The Food and Drug Administration approved Spiriva in 2004 and Atrovent in 1998. Both drugs are anticholinergics that relax muscles to open lung airways and have been used by millions of people worldwide.

COPD is the fourth-leading cause of death in the United States, affecting more than 24 million people and killing more than 100,000 each year. The disease, most commonly caused by smoking, is characterized by emphysema and chronic bronchitis, which blocks airflow to the lungs.

The study, conducted by Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C., found that patients taking the drugs had a 53 percent increased risk of heart attack, an 80 percent greater risk of cardiovascular death, and a 46 percent increased risk of stroke.

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