New drug offers hope to heart disease sufferers

Medical researchers at the University of New South Wales say they are a step closer to finding an effective treatment for Heart disease.

A drug is being developed based on a synthetic anti-oxidant already used in the treatment of heart problems.

The new drug also reduces inflammation in the heart's blood vessels, increasing its effectiveness in reducing the risk of Heart Attacks.

Professor Roland Stocker at the university's Centre for Vascular Research says it will still be some time before the drug is readily available.

"Within the following year, 2006, we can complete the pre-clinical research and then hope to get these drugs into humans by the beginning of 2007," he said.

Professor Stocker says the centre's research has also cast doubt on the projected health benefits of dietary anti-oxidants supplements such as vitamin E.

He says there is no evidence to suggest that vitamin E is an effective way to treat sufferers of Heart disease.

"To our surprise we actually realised that the vitamin does not function the way it is commonly perceived, that is it does not necessarily on its own function as an anti-oxidant," he said.