A preliminary study concludes that a drug that doctors commonly prescribe to treat angina and blood pressure might increase the risk of sudden cardiac arrest.
Cardiac arrest occurs when the heart stops pumping blood around the body. If a person does not receive treatment, cardiac arrest can be lethal within minutes.
According to the American Heart Association (AHA), in the United States, around 475,000 people die from cardiac arrest each year.
It claims more lives than colorectal cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, pneumonia, influenza, vehicle accidents, firearms, HIV, and house fires combined.
The AHA describe cardiac arrest “as one of the most lethal public health problems in the U.S.” So, because cardiac arrest is both serious and common, understanding the risk factors involved is essential.
To this end, the European Resuscitation Council set up a project that collects data on cardiac arrest, called the European Sudden Cardiac Arrest network (ESCAPE-NET).
A recent study using ESCAPE-NET data investigated whether a common group of drugs might play a role in cardiac arrest.
Healthcare providers use dihydropyridines to treat high blood pressure and angina, which is chest pain related to reduced blood flow to the heart. The project focused on two dihydropyridines: nifedipine and amlodipine.
The scientists had access to data from the Dutch Amsterdam Resuscitation Studies registry and the Danish Cardiac Arrest Registry, both of which form part of ESCAPE-NET.
The researchers presented their findings at EHRA 2019, the annual congress of the European Heart Rhythm Association, which is taking place in Lisbon, Portugal.
In total, they had access to data from more than 10,000 people who were taking dihydropyridines and 50,000 controls.
Source: Medical News Today
