Study: New Drug Might Prevent Heart Attacks
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — A new research suggests a drug, which is already approved for rare inflammatory diseases, might also help prevent heart attacks.
After two heart attacks, 68-year-old Phyllis Reed, who loves gardening, quit smoking, lost 30 pounds and took statins to reduce cholesterol. But she's still worried.
"I'm afraid of having another heart attack. It's just something that never goes away," Reed said.
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Now, there may be one more way of lowering her risk by reducing inflammation, the body's response to injury.
Researchers tested a powerful anti-inflammatory drug called Canakinumab in people with a history of heart attack.
Ten thousand patients with blood test evidence of ongoing inflammation were followed for nearly four years. There was a 15-percent reduction in the risk of heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular death compared to those taking a placebo.
"Everyone in this trial already had very aggressively lowered cholesterol levels," researcher Dr. Paul Ridker said. "The question was: Can we attack the residual inflammatory risk, not the residual cholesterol risk? And it was a home run!"
For two decades, doctors have been researching the role of inflammation in heart disease.
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Damage to the wall of an artery can trigger inflammation and growth of fatty, cholesterol-rich plaque, which may eventually rupture and form the type of clot that causes a heart attack or stroke.
"Diet, exercise, smoking cessation and going to the gym remain critically important," Dr. Paul Ridker explained "And everybody should get their cholesterol down working with physicians to do so. But this is an entire new part of the disease."
Doctors say there was also an unexpected finding, patients taking the drug had lower death rates from cancer, especially lung cancer. But more research is needed.
