Heart drug compliance saves lives, costs

BOSTON, Feb. 19 (UPI) -- A U.S. study found that 50 percent of heart patients significantly under use medications to prevent recurrence of heart attacks mainly because of cost.

The study, published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, found if heart attack survivors had full heart drug compliance -- average cost of the drugs is more than $400 per year -- it could help heart attack survivors live longer, better lives and lower the nation's healthcare costs.

It's recommended that heart attack patients receive treatment with a beta-blocker, a statin cholesterol-lowering drug, an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker and aspirin. A combination of the drugs has reduced coronary heart disease death by 80 percent compared to placebo, the researchers said.

"By reducing financial barriers to highly effective medications, we have the opportunity to not only increase adherence, but also decrease overall healthcare costs," lead author Dr. Niteesh Choudhry of the Harvard Medical School said in a statement.