The use of long-acting bronchodilators for prolonged periods can put patients of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, at a higher risk of suffering from cardiovascular disease, a new study suggests.
COPD, affects around one-fourth of the total number of Americans over 35 years of age, and is the third leading cause of death in the United States. Generally characterized by difficulty in breathing, COPD is managed using long-acting beta-agonists and long-acting anti-cholinergic.
These medications, however, may put an individual at a higher risk of suffering from cardiovascular disease, the study shows.
The study, which involved older subjects suffering from COPD, was published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.
"Although little controversy remains as to the effectiveness of [long-acting beta-agonists] and [long-acting Anticholinergics], their cardiovascular safety is a matter of debate," the researchers wrote. "Long-acting Anticholinergics are believed to suppress parasympathetic control, whereas [long-acting beta-agonists] are believed to stimulate sympathetic control, both causing an increased risk of tachyarrhythmias, myocardial ischemia, stroke, and death."
Led by Andrea Gresham, M.D, M.S, researchers from the Institute of Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Ontario, Canada, carried out a case control analysis of a study that involved the identification of cardiovascular risks among patients taking long-acting medications - a treatment for COPD.
The analysis was done on patients above the age of 66, and suffering COPD since 2003-2009. Not surprisingly, 53,532 of the 191,005 patients were noted to have visited the emergency department or the hospital for a cardiovascular complication.
The study concluded that the use of beta-agonists and anti-cholinergic were at a much higher risk of suffering from cardiovascular complications than those who didn't take any medication.
"Among older individuals with COPD, new use of long-acting β-agonists and Anticholinergics is associated with similar increased risks of cardiovascular events. Close monitoring of COPD patients requiring long-acting bronchodilators is needed regardless of drug class," the study claims.
Truly, this is not the first time we have come across some potentially dangerous effects of overuse of medications. Better medications and treatment strategies need to come up, to help individuals suffering from these diseases handle their issues better.
