The researchers knew tamoxifen often reduces cholesterol levels, but this study shows that the drug s benefits for the heart may go farther. Tamoxifen is used to reduce the incidence of breast cancer in healthy women at high risk of developing the disease, but researchers suspected it may be useful in other ways. Tamoxifen has mixed effects depending on the organ it s acting on.
Heart disease is the number one killer of American women.
Previous studies have shown that both proteins present in high levels could indicate an increased risk for heart disease. The effect on fibrinogen was higher in women with higher baseline cholesterol. The impact on the two proteins, however, may signal even more benefits from taking tamoxifen. The study participants were 111 healthy women who were participating in a breast cancer prevention trial. The average age of the women was 58, and most were postmenopausal.