This 10-cent heart drug cuts hospitalizations by 25%
New research indicates that a low dose of the inexpensive drug digoxin can reduce hospitalizations for heart failure patients by 25%. The findings suggest this medication could become a valuable addition to standard heart failure treatment protocols.
Why it matters
Providing an affordable, effective treatment option could significantly improve quality of life and reduce healthcare costs for millions of heart failure patients.
A low dose of digoxin may help people with heart failure avoid hospitalization and reduce the risk of death, according to three studies led by UMCG cardiologists Dirk Jan van Veldhuisen, Kevin Damman, and Peter van der Meer. The researchers believe the new findings could eventually influence heart failure treatment guidelines and make this inexpensive medication available to many more patients.
Heart failure is a serious and growing health problem. More than 500,000 people in the Netherlands are estimated to have the condition, and that number is expected to increase in the years ahead. In people with heart failure, the heart cannot pump blood as effectively as it should. This can lead to severe shortness of breath, fatigue, and repeated trips to the hospital.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in