DEADLY DRUG GAP.

HEART diseases; THERAPEUTICS; ADRENERGIC beta blockers; WARFARIN; ASPIRIN; CARDIAC patients; STANFORD University

CALIFORNIA; PALO Alto (Calif.); UNITED States

Heart patients may be missing out on lifesaving drugs: warfarin for irregular heartbeat, beta blockers and aspirin for coronary artery disease, and ACE inhibitors for congestive heart failure. When Stanford University researchers reviewed 83,000 heart-related doctor visits, they found that 38-to-58 percent of patients got these treatments -- but up to 80 percent would benefit from them. These medications have been conclusively shown to cut complications and slow disease progression, so it is a good idea to ask about them if your doctor has not prescribed them.