A Cheap drug which was developed 50 years ago to treat chronic gout may give new hope for the treatment and prevention of heart disease and strokes according to new research.
The study held at Dundee University has shown that an anti gout drug called Allopurinol, can possibly be used to help people suffering from heart disease.
Dundee University are now looking for funding for a large scale clinical trial where the end point would be to prove that Allopurinol can improve survival rates for heart disease patients.
The Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine, Allan Struthers said the study team had already proved that Allopurinol reduces the thickening of the heart muscle wall, known as the left ventricular hypertrophy.
In the latest research Professor Struthers and his team looked at a group of 66 heart disease patients, half of whom who were given Allopurinol and the other half a placebo over a nine month period. The results showed that the thickness of the heart muscle wall was greatly reduced in the group who took Allopurinol.
Allopurinol is available and still in use today and it’s always great things to find a new use for a cheap existing drug. Allopurinol has been shown to work in several different situations which means it possesses potential for use in heart disease patients. Full Article…