On Thursday the U. S. Food and Drug Administration laid off earlier reports stating that Spiriva HandiHaler increased risks related to heart among patients who used it to help control chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

In 2008 the drug’s maker had stated that patients using tiotropium (Spiriva), an active ingredient in the medicine, were at risk of having a stroke.

Proving this wrong, a study out this year says that it might actually lower down the risk of heart problems.

Dr Norman H. Edelman, chief medical officer of the American Lung Association, said, "The short-acting form, Atrovent, seems to increase cardiovascular risk, while the long-acting form, Spiriva, seems to decrease it.”

About 83, 000 people’s data was collected for two studies in the U. S. by researchers led by Todd A. Lee, from the Hines VA Hospital in Illinois, they were aged people with COPD. Among these patients, 44 per cent were using Atrovent at some point during the study.

These people were followed until they had a cardiovascular activity or until they died. The study ended in September 2004. About 44 per cent people had heart failures, more than 6,200 patients had a cardiovascular event, about 28 per cent had chest pains, or heart attacks and 28 per cent complained of having heart rhythms that were irregular.

It was also noticed that during the first six months of Atrovent therapy people had increased risk of cardiovascular activities and those who took this therapy for more than six months had lower risks of heart failure.