Kidney cancer drug could reduce risk of repeat heart attacks in a similar way to statins, study suggests

A commonly used drug to treat kidney cancer may reduce the risk of heart attacks, a study finds.

Scientists from the University of Cambridge found that the anti-inflammatory drug aldesleukin reduced inflammation to a similar level as statins, reducing the chance of a new attack.

The results were so “striking” that experts say the drug could change clinical practice and become a standard part of care for heart attack patients within five to 10 years.

People who have had a heart attack are particularly vulnerable to further, fatal attacks, because the body’s immune response can worsen existing inflammation, leading to more damage and greater risk.

However, researchers found that administering low doses of the drug, which is injected under the skin, reduces this effect in the affected arteries.

Scientists from the University of Cambridge found that the anti-inflammatory drug, aldesleukin, reduced inflammation to a similar level as statins, reducing the chance of a recurrence of the attack (stock photo)

The drug is most commonly used to treat kidney cancer (stock photo)

According to Ziad Mallat, professor of cardiovascular medicine at the University of Cambridge at the British Heart Foundation, the reduction found was comparable to the effect of high doses of statins, in combination with the use of such drugs.

Presenting the findings at the European Society of Cardiology congress in London, he said: ‘We associate inflammation with healing – an inbuilt response that protects us from infection and injury.

“But it is now clear that inflammation is the culprit in many cardiovascular diseases. Early signs from our ongoing research suggest that people treated with aldesleukin may have better long-term outcomes, including fewer heart attacks.

‘If these findings are replicated in a larger study, we hope that aldesleukin could become part of routine treatment after a heart attack within five to 10 years.’

The study found that injections of aldesleukin reduced inflammation levels 7.7 percent more than injections of a placebo, with an 8.3 percent reduction in the most inflamed arteries.

Experts believe the drug could be given to the 100,000 people who are hospitalized each year for heart attacks, alongside existing treatments, potentially increasing their chances of survival.

Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, deputy medical director at the British Heart Foundation and a cardiologist, added: ‘A treatment to reduce inflammation after a heart attack could be a game changer.’