Carvedilol could reduce cardiac death in high risk patients

New research has found that the cardiovascular drug Carvedilol could reduce cardiac death in high risk patients with prior myocardial infarction and/or heart failure.

Marketed by GlaxoSmithKline as Coreg, it is also believed it could be beneficial in reducing the incidence of atrial fibrillation (a major disorder of the cardiac rhythm) in a number of clinical situations.

Published in the journal Pacing and Clinical Electrophysiology, the research claims that Carvedilol possesses electrophysological properties that affect a variety of ionic currents that may result in a significant anti-arrhythmic action.

Carvedilol may have the right combination of pharmacological properties to reduce cardiac death and reduce or prevent the incidence of atrial fibrillation, said researchers.

Currently, the only effective management of these patients is to implant a device known as an implantable cardiovertor defibrillator (ICD).

ICDs automatically detect an abnormal rhythm and deliver an electric shock to restore normal heart rhythm, but are expensive and have knock on effects that reduce a patient’s quality of life.

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