New use for ivabradine?

Published: 2010-09-28

The BEAUTIFUL trial [1] suggests that ivabradine, currently licensed for symptomatic treatment of chronic stable angina pectoris in certain patients, might be useful for a new group of patients: patients with heart failure and a rapid heart rate.

Presenting the study, published in The Lancet, at the European Society of Cardiology annual meeting in Stockholm, Sweden, Professor Martin Cowie called for further research. Unlike other treatments, such as beta blockers, ivabradine lowers the number of heartbeats per minute without also reducing blood pressure.

"This drug has the advantage that it can be added to beta blockers or be given to people who can't take them. It slows the pulse rate without lowering the blood pressure or affecting asthma, so it's a new option for doctors and patients to think about" Professor Cowie said in an interview.

1. NCT00143507