
New research out of Wake Forest University School of Medicine shows that use of the most commonly prescribed once-a-day treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) for longer than one month increases the risk of cardiovascular death, heart attack or stroke by more than 50 percent.
Researchers…conducted a meta-analysis of 17 double-blind, randomized trials involving a total of 14,783 patients with COPD. Participants received treatment with inhaled anticholinergics, another form of active therapy or a placebo inhaler.
An analysis of the data showed that use of inhaled anticholinergics for more than one month significantly increased the risk of cardiovascular death, heart attacks, or strokes in COPD patients by 58 percent.
The two most commonly used inhalers from the anticholinergic class are tiotropium bromide, marketed by Pfizer as Spiriva™, and ipratropium bromide, made and marketed by Boehringer Ingelheim as Atrovent™.
“Patients with COPD who use these inhalers are at a high risk of excess serious cardiovascular events due to their use,” said Singh, an assistant professor of internal medicine. “In absolute terms, if these inhalers are used for one year, nearly one in 40 patients using these inhalers may develop cardiac death related to the drug, and nearly one in 174 patients may develop a heart attack associated with these inhalers.”
Uh, if you or someone you care about is using one of these inhalers – please check with your doctor.
But, bbbut, they’re FDA Approved.
Lawsuit!!!!!!!!
And what are the death rates from COPD in an untreated group? Higher than 1 in 174? It’s a bad disease with a high mortality, especially for people over 60.
If you’re looking for a totally safe treatment, good luck.
Simple, don’t prescribe them to anyone with a high heart and or stroke risk.
Should this or any drug be totally withdrawn because some people can’t use it? Of course not.
#4 – you want doctors to take responsibility for what they prescribe? I say fie on thee…varlet!
1/40 = 0.025 = 2.5% of sample die. Thus,
(100 – 2.5)% = 97.5% of sample live!
1/174 = 0.0057 =0.57% of sample have heart attack. Thus,
(100 – 0.57)% = 99.4% will not have a heart attack!
My question is how was the “… 58% increased risk of death, heart attack or strokes” calculated? Specifically, what are the raw numbers for strokes?
The point is the percentage increase (whatever it is) is associated with the specific treatment. It is not about not receiving treatment. The lesson, compare results with other treatments.