New use of long-term inhaled bronchodilators is associated with an early increase in the risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD), the findings of a new study suggest.

In a large observational study, the risk for CVD in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was increased approximately 1.5-fold during the first 30 days after starting therapy with long-acting ?2 agonists (LABAs) or long-acting muscarinic antagonists (LAMAs) compared with ongoing or more prolonged use, lead author, Meng-Ting Wang, PhD, and coauthors write in JAMA Internal Medicine.

The findings suggest that clinicians should “be very vigilant with regard to any cardiovascular symptoms within 30 days of initiating LABA or LAMA treatment for COPD,” they warn