Many stop drugs after heart attack

Orlando, Fla. -- A U.S. study found more than half of patients who have had a heart attack stop taking lifesaving medications within three years.

Lead researcher Nilay Shah, of the Mayo Clinic, followed patients at six, 12 and 36 months after a heart attack and discovered that smokers are most likely to stop taking their medication, placing them at increased risk for more heart attacks and complications.

"This suggests that current smokers may be a target group for education (on) acute heart attack," Shah said in a statement. "Participation in cardiac rehab programs seems to be another important factor associated with long-term continuation of prescribed medication therapy."

Study co-author Dr. Veronique Roger said that patients discontinue taking medications too soon for a variety of reasons, including cost, but more research is needed understand and resolve the barriers patients face.

The researchers evaluated 292 patients following a heart attack and found at six months, 92 percent of the patients taking statins continued treatment, but by three years 44 percent of the patients did.The rate of beta-blockers dropped from 89 percent at six months to 47 percent at three years and the rate of ACE inhibitor dropped from 77 percent at six months to 37 percent at three years.

The findings were presented at the American Heart Association’s scientific sessions in Orlando, Fla.

© 2007 United Press International.