Tamoxifen dilates arteries in men
By Nathan Seppa
The breast cancer drug tamoxifen can widen a narrowed coronary artery in men with heart problems, a new study shows. Although the test population comprised only a few dozen participants, the study suggests that the drug may play a valuable role beyond fighting cancer.
Researchers gave tamoxifen orally for 56 days to 16 men–average age 61–with heart disease. Fifteen other men in similar health–average age 64–received an inactive pill. All these volunteers were taking aspirin and cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins. Ten other men without severe heart disease but with chest pain called angina received only tamoxifen.