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Familiar Drugs See New Benefits: Existing Medications Help Cut Heart Attack Risks

Posted on: Tuesday, 21 February 2006, 15:00 CST

By Munira Syeda, Desert Dispatch, Barstow, Calif.

Feb. 21--A new study by a group of California doctors sheds light on new ways to avoid or delay heart attack, information that may be useful for many local Barstow residents vulnerable to such a disease.

The research shows drugs previously used to cut down on high cholesterol and elevated blood pressure could also help prevent heart attacks.

Conducted by investigators at University of California, San Francisco, Stanford University and Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, the study appears in today'sissue of Annals of Internal Medicine.

Coronary heart disease is the No. 1 killer in the United States, according to the American Heart Association.

At Barstow Community Hospital, an estimated 12 percent of the patients admitted in 2005 suffered from chest-pain-related incidents, including congestive heart failure, angina, acute heart attack, and cardiac arrhythmia, said Maureen Bodine, chief clinical officer for the hospital.

She said the local population tends to be older. Plus, the staff sees patients from Veteran's Home of California, Barstow.

Barstow cardiologist Dr. Rabani Zaheerbelieves that heart disease continues to be a significant issue not only locally but nationally as well as in the industrialized world.

He said statins have been found to be so beneficial that there's talk in the scientific circles of adding that drug to the water supply.

Certain groups, he said, are more prone to getting a heart attack, and if they're prescribed statins or beta-blockers, they could enjoy a healthier lifestyle, in combination with diet and exercise. These include men over 45, women over 55, smokers, and those suffering from diabetes, high blood pressure or abnormal cholesterol.

"These are the people that are high risk. If you use statins or beta-blockers, you could reduce the number of heart attacks close to 50 percent. That is the basic thing. And I think that is not only in this study but multiple other studies that point to that," Zaheer said.

Of course, he added, nothing completely eliminates the risk of a heart attack, but its onset can be postponed or reduced.

Study investigators monitored 1,400 patients at Kaiser Permanente in Northern California over a two-year period from 2001 to 2003. They concluded that those patients who took statins, a drug used to combat high cholesterol, or beta-blockers, which helps reduce high blood pressure, dramatically cut down a person's chances of getting a heart attack as the first sign of heart disease. Instead, those taking statins, such as Lipitor or Zocor, or beta-blockers such as Coreg, could encounter mild chest pain, which is less dangerous than a heart attack.

"While doctors try to prevent coronary disease by treating high blood pressure and high cholesterol, it's not 100 percent effective" said Dr. Mark Hlatky, professor of cardiovascular medicine at Stanford, in a statement. "If there are warning symptoms like angina with exercise, there is enough time to see a doctor and get started on effective treatments that reduce risk. Having a heart attack causes permanent damage, even if it doesn't kill you."

Bodine advises taking care of one's health, taking one's medication regularly and seeing a physician immediately if symptoms worsen.

Contact the writer: (760) 256-4126 or munira_syeda@link.freedom.com

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Copyright (c) 2006, Desert Dispatch, Barstow, Calif.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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Source: The Desert Dispatch (Barstow, Calif.)

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