A pill costing £10 a week that could save the lives of thousands of heart failure patients every year has been approved by European regulators.
A major clinical trial suggested the drug, ivabradine, could cut risk of death from heart failure by up to 39%, reduce risk of death from all types of cardiovascular disease by 17% and the risk of death from all causes by 17%.
Experts said it could prevent between 5,000 and 10,000 deaths a year.
The study of 6,505 people in 37 countries, including Britain, also found the drug reduced the need for patients to be treated in hospital for heart failure by 30%.
Ivabradine, also known as Procoralan, slows the heart rate without reducing blood pressure, enabling the heart to pump more efficiently at a lower rate.
The pill is already prescribed in the UK for angina patients but today is being licensed by European safety regulators for treating heart failure.
Prof Martin Cowie, a consultant cardiologist and specialist in heart failure at the Royal Brompton Hospital in central London, and the British lead investigator for the study, said, as reported by the Telegraph: "Heart failure is a very common problem, affecting approximately 1% of the population.
"The decision to approve this new indication for ivabradine is great news for both doctors and patients, and is a significant step forward in the management of heart failure."
Prof Cowie added: "While Ace inhibitors and beta-blockers remain very important in the treatment of this condition, the results of the trial demonstrate the value that a reduction in heart rate with ivabradine can bring both in terms of improving symptoms and preventing disease progression, but also in helping patients return to normal daily activities and increasing their enjoyment of life."
Maureen Talbot, Senior Cardiac Nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: "There are already several medicines available in the UK for treating heart failure, but some people's condition and symptoms remain uncontrolled. Knowing doctors have another option to offer those patients whose condition is particularly difficult to treat is really positive news.
"Patients whose heart failure symptoms are already well controlled with their current treatment are unlikely to have their medication changed because of this new drug, but for many it could improve their quality of life."
Recent research by leading health experts found the number of people dying from heart attacks has halved in just under a decade. The researchers from the Department of Public Health at Oxford believe that these figures are down to the effort of millions who have stopped smoking, managed to keep their blood pressure down and reduce their cholesterol levels.
Another recent study by researchers from the University of Western Australia found that patients who suffer from heart failure generally have greater problems with their short and long-term memory than healthy people with no heart problems.