A PILL for chest pains could save the lives of thousands of heart failure patients, trial results have revealed.
One expert described the evidence as a “significant breakthrough” and said it would compel him to change his clinical practice.
The pill, at a price of just £10 a week, could prevent up to 10,000 UK deaths a year.
The drug ivabradine is already available for angina. However, only around 10% of treated angina patients are prescribed it.
Today’s results from an experts’ meeting in Stockholm suggest that ivabradine could be resurrected as a cost-effective treatment for many thousands of patients with heart failure.
Over a typical study period of two years, the drug cut the risk of death from heart failure by 26%.
More than 700,000 people over the age of 45 live with heart failure, which occurs when damage to the heart leaves it too weak to pump blood efficiently round the body.
The researchers, led by Swedish Professor Karl Swedberg, wrote: “Ivabradine substantially and significantly reduced major risks associated with heart failure when added to guideline-based and evidence-based treatment.”
The key to ivabradine is its effect on heart rate. It lowers the number of heartbeats per minute without reducing blood pressure.
Prof Martin Cowie, consultant cardiologist at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London, who led the UK arm of the study, said: “I rarely come back from a conference and say I’ve got to change my clinical practice, but these results will make me do that.”
Ivabradine could save up to 10,000 lives a year, he said, adding other international experts were also “excited” by the findings.