MONDAY, April 4 (HealthDay News) -- At first glance, patients suffering from heart failure because of blocked coronary arteries appear to fare as well in terms of overall survival whether they have bypass surgery or rely on medication alone, a new study seems to suggest.

However, after a closer look, the researchers found that bypass surgery does reduce the risk of dying from heart disease, and also the risk of death from any cause or hospitalization from heart disease, by as much as 50 percent, compared with medication alone.

"The trial supports bypass surgery on top of best medical therapy vs. best medical therapy alone to reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality," lead researcher Dr. Eric J. Velazquez, director of both the cardiac diagnostic unit and echocardiography laboratories at Duke University Medical Center, said during a Monday press conference.

Given these findings, heart failure patients who have never been assessed for coronary-artery disease should be, he added.