Study shows drug reduces heart attack risk by 40%

AN Irish-made drug used to lower the heart rate in people with heart disease can help reduce the risk of heart attack by more than 40%, according to new research.

Ivabradine, manufactured in Co Wicklow, has also cut the incidence of heart surgery and other surgical procedures by more than half in angina patients, according to a global study on heart disease.

The results of the research – known as the BEAUTIFUL study – were presented yesterday at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress in Barcelona.