Heart Failure Drugs Good for Heart

Medications used in the treatment of patients who have suffered heart failure also reduces the risk of death, heart attacks as well as heart strokes in patients suffering from hardened arteries, a recent study published in the Lancet has reported. Administration of such drugs should be considered for all patients with vascular disease, the report said.

Researchers gathered and analyzed data from more than 29,800 patients as part of the study. The patients were enrolled in three different trials and were given either an ACE inhibitor – a type of anti-hypertensive drug – or a placebo. “Patients in the studies who took the medication had 18 percent fewer serious circulatory problems over the following four and half years,” the researchers said.

“ACE inhibitors should be considered for all patients with vascular disease,” said Kim Fox, a Professor of Clinical Cardiology at Royal Brompton Hospital in London and a co-author of the report. “People who have other indications – such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart failure or a previous heart attack – should be given the drugs.”

Patients enrolled in the three trials of the study were administered three different drugs – Altace, Aceon and Mavik respectively. Each of these drugs is utilized to lower blood pressure in patients with hypertension and heart disease. These drugs work by inhibiting the formation of a chemical that causes arteries in the body to constrict.

Fox said the results were “very positive for Altace and Aceon, and neutral for Mavik.” In his opinion, the reason behind the difference in results might be either the enrollment of fewer patients in the Mavik study or the doses of the drugs not being equivalent.

According to an estimate of the World Health Organization (WHO), 2005 saw more than 13 million worldwide deaths due to heart attack or stroke. These two conditions are among the top three causes of deaths in almost every developed country.

Related Discussions Drug that prevents heart failure Gene Discovery Shows Heart Failure Cause Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy for Heart Failure Webcast

Related Articles Drugs as Good as Surgery for Heart Transcendental Meditation Good for Heart Failure FDA warns on ADHD Drugs