A study led by a researcher of Indian-origin has found that a drug that raises levels of `good` cholesterol can also help clear clogged arteries in heart patients who are already on standard statin therapy, Oxford University announced Wednesday.

`This is the first clear evidence that a therapy to raise levels of good cholesterol when taken alongside statins can have a beneficial effect.`

The researchers used MRI scans to show a reduction in the clogging of artery walls in patients after a year of treatment with niacin, a B vitamin commonly used to raise levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or `good` cholestrol.

A third to a quarter of all heart patients have low levels of good cholestrol, but niacin fell out of favour after being shown to be useful in the early days of heart treatment, as statin became more common.

The standard treatment for patients with atherosclerosis is to be prescribed statins, which lower the levels of `bad` cholesterol, which might otherwise get deposited in the arteries.

`Good` cholesterol is thought to help remove bad cholesterol from the arteries.

The Oxford researchers, who worked with colleagues from Manchester University, found that after a year of niacin therapy the size of clogged artery walls in heart patients thinned down by an average of 1.1 sq mm, while those receiving a placebo saw an average increase of 1.2 sq mm.

`For years we had always been taught that atherosclerosis was a relentless progressive disease," said Choudhury. "It is exciting to see a regression in established atherosclerosis.`

Text courtesy: IANS