Health security

Acne drug which 'stops arteries from hardening' gives hope to stroke and heart attack sufferers

An acne drug may prevent thousands of deaths by halting the hardening of arteries, British scientists hope.

Some 200,000 people in Britain suffer strokes or heart attacks each year, many caused by a furring and hardening of arteries as fatty deposits calcify.

But researchers at Cambridge University are about to start human trials of a drug, minocycline, which they believe can halt the damaging process.

While millions take statins to reduce cholesterol and cut fatty deposits on blood vessel walls, many people do not and the drug cannot completely compensate for a bad diet and lack of exercise. Once fatty deposits are in place, calcium crystals can build up and cause hardening.