Gout drug heart boost

Tuesday June 8th, 2010

People taking a drug to treat gout may have enjoyed benefits in preventing the painful heart condition angina, British researchers reported today.

The drug has been used for 40 years - but a new discovery shows it may also be an "inexpensive and safe" treatment for angina.

The study in Dundee, Scotland, found that people who take the drug allopurinol can undertake greater levels of exercise than others with angina. Drug users were able to work long and harder at fitness before they experienced chest pain.

Doctors said the drug might prove to be an alternative to other treatments for angina, such as angioplasty and heart surgery.

The findings, reported in The Lancet, are based on a study involving 65 patients from Tayside, Scotland. When some of them were given the drug, they were able to walk 25 per cent further than the other patients.

Although the numbers in the research were small, it was based on scientific analysis suggesting the drug might hold the key to improving oxygen supply to the heart.

Researcher Professor Allan Struthers, of Dundee University, saud a study involving more patients would show the full potential of the drug.

She said: "This raises lots of other possibilities that we're also hoping to investigate. There are wider implications that we haven't studied yet, but it may well protect the heart in other situations."

"This might include protecting against heart attacks, but we can't say that for certain at this stage."

He added: "In terms of treating angina, we need to establish whether it would best be prescribed as well as current angina drugs, or even instead of angioplasty. One day it may replace angioplasty in a proportion of patients, and even reduce the need for coronary bypass in some patients."

Professor Peter Weissberg, of the British Heart Foundation, which backed the research, said he was excited about developing the drug for other kinds of heart patient.

He said: "There are several effective medicines out there for controlling angina, but it's helpful for doctors to have another option to turn to for patients who don't respond well to existing drugs.

"People with angina should continue taking medicines as prescribed and talk to their doctor if they have any concerns."

The Lancet on-line June 8 2010

Tags: Heart Health | Pharmaceuticals | Rheumatology | UK News

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