Tamoxifen Found to Aid Male Heart Patients

A study has shown that the drug tamoxifen, used to treat breast cancer, reduced cholesterol and triglyceride levels and increased blood flow in men with coronary artery disease (CAD). The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Cambridge (UK), was published in the March 20 issue of Circulation.

The study involved 31 CAD patients, of whom 16 received tamoxifen for 56 days and the remaining 15 did not. The CAD patients were also given aspirin and lipid-lowering drugs. Ten men with normal coronary arteries but suffering from angina were also given tamoxifen. In the CAD patients, the dilation of vessels increased from 2.1% to 7.5% after 28 days of treatment. Vessel dilation increased from 3.8% to 7.9% in the men with normal arteries. Triglycerides were also significantly reduced by tamoxifen.

Although tamoxifen reduced cholesterol levels, the effects it showed on vessel dilation appeared to be more than could be attributed to lowered cholesterol, say the researchers. This together with the fact that vessel dilation was also improved in men without CAD, who took no lipid-lowering drugs, suggests some new mechanism at work. A much larger trial will be needed to study safety and confirm efficacy.