UK GPs have been advised to avoid the short-acting bronchodilator ipratropium for patients with COPD after a new study found it sharply elevated the risk of a cardiovascular event.
The US study of 83,000 patients with COPD found those taking ipratropium over a period of six months were at a 40% higher risk of heart failure, acute coronary syndrome or cardiac dysrhythmia than those not exposed to the drugs.
The MHRA said it was reviewing the new findings and would ‘carefully examine’ any implications for patient care. A GP member of the NICE guidance group for COPD urged GPs to use alternatives to ipratropium for patients with the condition.
Ipratropium is widely used in the UK – figures from the NHS Information Centre show 1.6 million prescriptions were dispensed in primary care in 2008 – but recent studies have raised doubts about its routine use.
The new research – published in the latest edition of the US journal Chest – found the adjusted increase in cardiovascular risk over 12 months was 29% for those taking ipratropium, but that this remained statistically significant.More
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