Gout drug shows promise against angina
June 8th, 2010 - 1:03 pm ICT by ANILondon, June 8 (ANI): A drug used for more than 40 years to treat gout can also relieve angina, say researchers.
Compared to other angina drugs, allopurinol is inexpensive and appears to work by reducing the energy needs of the heart, reports the Lancet.
The severe chest pain of angina occurs when the heart muscle is deprived of blood, and therefore oxygen.
In the Dundee University study, 65 angina patients took part. And after analyses, boffins found that those on allopurinol could exercise for longer without getting chest pain.
Professor Allan Struthers and his team told the Lancet journal: “On the basis of our results, allopurinol is a useful anti-ischaemic treatment option in patients with angina that has the advantage of being inexpensive, well tolerated and safe in the long term.
“The precise place of allopurinol in the management of angina pectoris now needs to be explored further, but this drug might be especially appealing for use in developing countries where coronary artery disease is rapidly increasing in frequency and where access to expensive drugs or invasive treatments (angioplasty and bypass surgery) is often restricted.” (ANI)
- A heart pill that halves risk of death - Nov 15, 2010
- MRI scan 'better' than invasive tests for heart patients - Dec 23, 2011
- Heart disease likely to pass from father to son - Feb 09, 2012
- Heart saved through the wrist - Mar 13, 2011
- World's first bedside genetic test developed - Mar 30, 2012
- Growing new arteries could lead to 'biological bypass' for heart disease - Mar 09, 2010
- Growing arteries could lead to 'biological bypass' - Mar 09, 2010
- Mother's stroke history 'can help predict daughter's heart attack risk' - Feb 02, 2011
- Your own stem cells can treat cardiac disease - Nov 18, 2009
- Unapproved Heart Pills sold to millions - Mar 29, 2010
- No link between diabetes drug and rise in heart attacks - Jun 30, 2010
- Patient who underwent angioplasty at 94, steps into 100th year - Nov 25, 2010
- 13 genes behind heart disease uncovered - Mar 07, 2011
- Ultrasound technique better alternative to invasive angiography for diagnosing heart disease - Jun 15, 2010
- Wine's role ambiguous in protecting heart - Jan 31, 2012
Tags: allopurinol, angina patients, angina pectoris, angioplasty, bypass surgery, chest pain, coronary artery disease, developing countries, drugs, dundee university, gout, heart muscle, invasive treatments, lancet journal, london, oxygen, professor allan, struthers, treatment option