Another Reason to Curtail Albuterol Overuse

Overuse of short-acting β-agonists (SABA), defined as at least three canisters per year, is associated with poor outcomes, including asthma exacerbation and mortality. Some data also suggest cardiovascular risk, but more evidence is needed.

In a retrospective study, investigators compared the 1-year risk for major cardiovascular events (MACE) — including nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke — between 29,000 patients with asthma who used ≥3 canisters of SABA in the previous 12 months (overuse) and 203,000 patients who used 0 to 2 canisters (considered “acceptable” for the purposes of this study).