Heart attacks ‘halved since 1980s’

THE rate of heart attacks in Ireland has halved since the mid-1980s, it emerged yesterday.

Researchers found half the decline in coronary heart disease was due to people smoking less and eating more healthy diets.

However, sharp rises in levels of obesity, diabetes and sedentary lifestyles were not helping in the fight against heart ailments.

The data was compiled over 15 years by researchers in St James’s Hospital and published in the British Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

Dr Kathleen Bennett of the hospital’s pharmacology and therapeutics department said the downward trend in heart disease may continue with the smoking ban.

“The smoking ban should see a further decline over coming years. However, Ireland still has a high incidence of heart disease when compared to other western countries.”

The Dublin research team used a combination of published data on the use and effectiveness of treatments for heart disease and associated risk factors such as smoking, cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes and a sedentary lifestyle.

Between 1985 and 2000, deaths from coronary artery disease in Ireland fell by 47% in those aged 25 to 84, resulting in almost 3,800 fewer deaths in 2000 than in 1985. Almost 44% of the drop-off was attributable to better, and more timely, treatment, including tackling heart failure and secondary prevention.

But just under half of the figure (48%) was attributable to sharp falls in smoking, which accounted for over 25%, and in cholesterol, which accounted for 30%.

Falls in high blood pressure accounted for 6%.

Smoking rates have fallen more slowly in Ireland than in Britain and other developed countries, but have been given a boost by the smoking ban, which came into force in 2004.

However, sharp rises in rates of obesity, diabetes, and sedentary lifestyles offset these favourable trends by around 13% or 500 deaths.

“If these trends continue, they threaten to overturn the substantial health gains made,” Dr Bennett added.

Meanwhile, pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca landed a punch by showing its product Crestor can reverse artery clogging linked to heart attacks. However, the fight to dominate the lucrative anti-cholesterol drug market is far from over.

Industry analysts suggested rival manufacturers were lining up other studies and developing new products that would shift the battle lines in the world’s largest therapeutic drug sector, with annual sales of more than e24 billion.

Morgan Stanley’s Andrew Baum predicted a near-term lift for Crestor as AstraZeneca uses the new findings to ramp up its marketing to both doctors and consumers.

“However, competitors Pfizer, Merck and Schering-Plough are likely to counter-punch over coming months, neutralising Crestor momentum,” he added.

Dr Steve Nissen of the Cleveland Clinic, who announced that the top dose of Crestor could reverse the build-up of plaque in coronary arteries, said the data was “shockingly positive”.

But he added that further tests would be needed.