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(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Contrary to prior findings, new research reveals using a natural metabolite of vitamin B6 does not improve patient outcome after heart bypass surgery.
Recent research showed there might be a benefit to using MC-1 -- a naturally occurring metabolite of vitamin B6 -- after coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG), also known as heart bypass surgery. But a new, phase III trial finds otherwise.
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CABG is the most commonly performed cardiac surgical procedure in the world. In 2005, more than 250,000 CABG procedures were done in the United States. Serious complications can include heart attack, recurrent angina, kidney insufficiency, stroke and death. Researchers from Duke University Medical Center conducted a study to see if MC-1 may reduce death or heart attack in intermediate to high risk patients.
The study included more than 3,000 patients who had CABG surgery. Half of the patients received MC-1 before and 30 days after the surgery, while the other half received a placebo. Researchers say 140 of the 1,510 patients in the MC-1 group had a heart attack or died, compared to 133 of the 1,486 patients in the placebo group. They also found overall death was higher in the MC-1 group. Researchers report no beneficial effect of MC-1 in any subgroups they looked at, either.
Study authors conclude that MC-1 did not reduce cardiovascular death or nonfatal heart attack in patients who had CABG surgery. They say effective therapies to reduce complications after CABG surgery are needed, but remain elusive.
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SOURCE: The Journal of the American Medical Association, 2008;299:15; presented at the annual conference of the American College of Cardiology in Chicago, March 29 - April 1, 2008
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
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