BLOOD PRESSURE DRUG CUTS ARRYTHMIA STROKE RISK

A blood pressure medication can cut the risk of stroke in people who have atrial fibrillation, a type of irregular heartbeat that can cause blood clots to form, researchers conclude.

Researchers reporting Thursday in the journal Stroke found that use of the antihypertensive drug perindropil -- an ACE inihibitor -- improved patients' health even if they were already taking anticoagulants to keep their blood thin.

The study followed 476 patients with atrial fibrillation. Risk of a major stroke decreased 41 percent in patients who already were on anticoagulants, and 34 percent in patients who were not.

"Patients with atrial fibrillation obtain substantial benefit from anticoagulant therapy. However, the risk of serious vascular complications remains high. These findings suggest that routine blood pressure-lowering is likely to provide additional protection against major vascular events such as stroke," Dr. John C. Chalmers, senior director of the George Institute for International Health in Sydney, Australia, said in a prepared statement.

-- Dennis Thompson

SOURCES: American Heart Association, news release, Sept. 1, 2005