Researchers have found that older adults with COPD who take prescribed opioids are twice as likely to die due to respiratory-related complications when compared to non-opioid users, and the risk for users of the most potent opioids increases further to five times the level of non-opioid users.
The study, published in the European Respiratory Journal, looked at data from a cohort of more than 130,000 adults in Ontario, Canada aged 66 and older with COPD. It found that 68% of older COPD patients within the community had been prescribed opioid medication between April 2007 and March 2012, including drugs such as codeine, morphine and oxycodone, intended to help treat persistent coughing, shortness of breath and chronic muscle and bone pain.
The study hypothesised that a lower dosage of opioids might lower the overall risk of adverse effects associated with opioid use, but evidence showed that there remained a significant link between new opioid use and increased risk of respiratory-related complications and mortality.
Researcher Dr. Vozoris hopes clinicians will take the findings of this study into consideration when prescribing opioids to COPD patients, and said they must explain the adverse effects to patients and ensure they “understand that potentially alleviating their symptoms could come at a higher cost to their health”.