Thursday, March 9, 2006—Nebivolol, a drug for treatment of high blood pressure available in Europe, may restore damaged cardiovascular functions in African Americans, according to a recent laboratory study at Ohio University.

Tadeusz Malinski, Marvin & Ann Dilley White Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, found that the drug, currently under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, acts on the level of oxidants lining the cardiovascular system and can restore levels of nitric oxide and reduce oxidative stress. A deficiency in nitric oxide and high oxidative stress can cause a variety of health problems, including heart attacks, stroke and heart failure, as well as kidney failure and diabetes.

The study was published in a recent issue of Circulation, a journal of the American Heart Association, and involved collaborators from Harvard Medical School and Elucida Research in Massachusetts.

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