Inhaler could cause heart attacks

INHALERS prescribed for a serious lung disease could cause heart attacks, according to research.

Anticholinergic drugs contained in the inhalers could increase the risk of a heart attack, cardiovascular death or stroke by more than 50%, research showed.

The inhalers help people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema, to breathe. They open up the airways by relaxing muscles, which allows air to get in and out of the patient’s lungs more easily.