Heart disease affects millions of people worldwide. It’s a major health problem that costs the Australian economy a whopping $11.8 billion each year.
Heart disease is even the leading cause of death in Australia, despite improved diets, less smoking, and better control of blood pressure and cholesterol.
But now, there’s new hope for heart disease patients. A drug named Colchicine, previously used for gout, is showing promise.
Gout Drug Repurposed for Heart Disease
In a groundbreaking move, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given approval to use Colchicine in low doses for preventing serious heart problems in people who already have heart disease.
This is a big step. It means that Colchicine, a medication often used to treat gout, can also help heart patients.
Two doctors, Dr. Mark Nidorf and Professor Peter Thompson AM from Perth, Australia, made this important discovery. They found that small amounts of Colchicine could help people with heart disease.
They first published their results in the American Journal of Cardiology in 2007. After that, they ran a big study called LoDoCo (Low Dose Colchicine) in 2013.
What the Experts Say
According to Professor Thompson, “FDA approval is a strong affirmation…that low dose colchicine is both effective and safe to use in patients with coronary disease.”
This means that Colchicine, along with aspirin and statin therapy, is now a new important treatment for heart disease. The best part? It’s not expensive and is readily available.
The Journey of Colchicine
The journey of using Colchicine for heart disease began more than 10 years ago. In a trial called LoDoCo, doctors gave this medicine to 500 patients in Western Australia between 2008 and 2012.
The results were encouraging. It seemed that Colchicine could lower the risk of major heart problems in people with long-term heart disease. But, the doctors wanted to be sure, so they planned another larger study.
LoDoCo2 Trial and the Positive Results
This second big study was called LoDoCo2. More than 5,000 patients from Australia and the Netherlands took part in it.
The results of this five-year study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2020, were even more positive.
Patients who took cholesterol-lowering drugs and low doses of Colchicine had a 31% lower risk of major heart problems.
How Safe is Colchicine?
A big concern with any drug is safety. In the LoDoCo2 trial, patients took a low dose of Colchicine every day, and it seemed safe.
It didn’t increase the chance of getting cancer or interfere with other common medicines, including statin therapy.
Confirmation of Benefits from Other Trials
Other studies with over 11,000 patients in Australia and Canada have confirmed the benefits of low-dose Colchicine.
They also confirmed it’s safe to add Colchicine to regular medical treatment in heart patients.
Understanding How Colchicine Works
So, how does Colchicine help the heart? Well, it’s an anti-inflammatory drug.
Dr. Nidorf explains that Colchicine might work by reducing inflammation that happens when cholesterol changes from a soft, harmless form to a hard, irritating form inside plaques in the arteries.
This is similar to how Colchicine helps gout by reducing inflammation when uric acid changes into hard crystals in a joint, causing painful gouty arthritis.
Future Steps
With FDA approval, doctors hope that other countries will also start using Colchicine for heart disease.
Already, low-dose Colchicine is registered for secondary prevention in heart patients in the U.S., Canada, and South America. In Europe, it’s included in guideline therapy.
In Australia, doctors hope the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) will approve Colchicine for heart disease soon.
Also, in the next few years, we expect the results from two more studies with over 10,000 patients who have recently had a stroke or heart attack.
Takeaways
In conclusion, Colchicine is bringing new hope to heart disease patients.
It’s a good example of how a medicine used for one disease can be repurposed to treat another. It’s also proof that ongoing research is the key to improving healthcare for all of us.
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