Digoxin is a widely used heart drug. However, a new German study says that taking it may increase the risk of premature death in patients with heart problems like irregular heartbeat and heart failure.
Dr. Stefan Hohnloser, a professor of cardiology at the J.W. Goethe University in Frankfurt and lead researcher told WebMD, "Digoxin should be used with great caution. There are better drugs for many patients, for instance in those who receive the drug for atrial fibrillation."
Digoxin is a well-known drug that aims to make the heart beat stronger and have a regular rhythm. It is derived from the leaves of a digitalis plant and is most commonly used in patients with heart failure. Furthermore, it can be used to treat atrial fibrillation which is a disorder in the heart rhythm in the upper chamber of the heart, reports Drugs.com.
In the study published in the European Heart Journal on Tuesday, the researchers from the J.W. Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies published in journals from 1993 to 2014.
They were able to determine 19 relevant studies. The respondents totaled to 326,047 atrial fibrillation and 91,378 congestive heart failure patients. They found out that those treated with digoxin had a 21% increased risk of early death overall from any cause compared to those who are not taking the medicine, reported in a press release.
Dr. Hohnloser said, "If digoxin is used, careful monitoring of patients for digoxin blood levels seems mandatory."
Additionally, the use of digoxin is still recommended by USA guidelines and the European Society of Cardiology for patients with congestive heart failure and atrial fibrillation.
Consequently, the authors are recommending in their study, "These recommendations reflect the highly unsatisfactory data basis on which to judge the supposed benefits of digoxin."
