Researchers at the Hines VA Hospital in Illinois, reported that ipratropium use was associated with a 34% increase in risk of cardiovascular death. They found that the results were most applicable to men who were recently diagnosed and may not apply to patients who have more severe forms of COPD or to women.
Although several limitations were associated with the study, the authors concluded that caution should be taken in the use of ipratropium alone for those patients who have been recently diagnosed with COPD.
Does this mean if you are currently using Atrovent that you should stop using it? The best thing that you can do is to talk with your doctor about the risks associated with the use of Atrovent, and together, you can decide if discontinuing the drug is warranted. All medications have certain risks and side effects. However, if your doctor thinks that you should stop using Atrovent, there may be another drug that he can prescribe to replace it.
Read more about the study.
For more information about Atrovent and other bronchodilators used in treatment of COPD see:
A Closer Look at Bronchodilators in Treatment of COPD
For more information about medication-related problems see:
