A study has suggested that colchicine, a commonly used medicine to treat gout, could have potentially life-saving benefits for heart failure patients.
The researchers also suggested that the medication might reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in patients with cholesterol-clogged arteries.
Dr. Kenneth Bilchick, a professor of cardiovascular medicine at the University of Virginia (UVA), and his team analyzed the records of over 1,000 patients admitted to UVA’s Medical Center between March 2011 and February 2020 due to worsening heart failure.
They found that the survival rates were nearly 98% for patients who received colchicine for a gout flare-up, compared to less than 94% for those who were not given the drug.
Heart failure and gout, a type of arthritis caused by a buildup of uric acid crystals in the joints, are often concurrent conditions in many patients.
While colchicine, steroids, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are common treatments for gout, the latter two are not usually given to heart failure patients as they could exacerbate the symptoms.
The Mechanism and Potential Benefits
The researchers proposed that colchicine might benefit heart failure patients by reducing inflammation in the heart and blood vessels.
While these initial findings need further confirmation through larger studies, the research team finds them promising and underscored the significance of novel inflammatory mechanisms in heart failure.
“Heart failure is more than just a failure of the pumping function of the heart,” commented Dr. Sula Mazimba, a UVA School of Medicine researcher and cardiologist.
He emphasized that there are other processes involved, particularly during an acute hospitalization phase, such as elevated inflammation and neuro-hormonal processes.
Although many therapeutic agents for heart failure target neuro-hormonal pathways, few address inflammatory pathways.
He stated, “Colchicine is a medication that has anti-inflammatory properties that could potentially attenuate the heightened inflammation that we see in patients who are hospitalized with heart failure.”
According to the American Heart Association, about 6 million Americans are living with heart failure, which causes over 86,000 deaths annually.
The findings of the study were recently published online in the journal Clinical Cardiology.
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