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Article: Asthma & beta-agonists.(beta agonist drugs worsens health of asthmatics)(Brief article)
- Article from:
- The Journal of Chinese Medicine
- Article date:
- October 1, 2004
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 The Journal of Chinese Medicine. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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A review of asthma studies conducted between 1966 and 2003 suggests that prolonged use by asthma sufferers of beta-agonist drugs such as Ventolin may make their asthma worse. The study authors say that patients who take the drug daily develop a tolerance and develop greater lung inflammation than asthmatics who do not use the medicines. (Ann Intern Med, May 2004; 140: 802-813.) The same authors also found a nearly doubled risk of cardiac events such as ischaemia, congestive heart failure, arrhythmias and sudden deaths in asthmatics using beta-agonists long term. (Chest. ...