Prescription of beta-blockers for people with COPD after myocardial infarction (MI) does not raise their risk of an acute respiratory exacerbation and might even be protective, a large study shows.

The study of nearly 11,000 Danes with COPD who had their first MI between 2003 and 2015 should allay the concerns of doctors under-prescribing the agents for fear of triggering exacerbations, the authors say.

Participants (median age 75, 52% male) were followed from discharge from hospital after MI until their first moderate or severe COPD exacerbation, the authors reported in Thorax.

At baseline, 30% were taking beta-blockers, and two thirds of these had been on the medications for another indication before their MI. At the one-year mark, 65% were on the drugs.