Can Gout Medication Help Combat Heart Failure?

HealthDay News reports that the gout medication colchicine could be helpful to people with heart failure. It might also reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack in people who have clogged arteries.

According to WebMD, colchicine helps treat gout by reducing the swelling and decreasing the build-up of uric acid that is associated with the condition.

The American Heart Association (AHA) describes heart failure as a condition in which the heart is not pumping blood as efficiently as it should be. When this occurs, the body's tissues do not get enough oxygen and people can have symptoms like fatigue, shortness of breath, and coughing. Heart failure is typically not curable, but there are medications and lifestyle changes that can help control its symptoms.

Colchicine might help heart failure by decreasing inflammation in the blood vessels and heart, the study authors wrote in the journal Clinical Cardiology. However, they note that larger studies are needed to clarify the link.

According to HealthDay News, the researchers examined medical records of over 1,000 people who had been admitted to the University of Virginia Medical Center between March 2011 and February 2020 as a result of worsening heart failure. After analyzing the data, they found that those who had received colchicine for a gout flare had survival rates of almost 98%. Those who had not received the gout drug, on the other hand, had survival rates of less than 94%.

The AHA notes that gout and heart failure are linked, with a 2018 study finding that people with gout during the study had two times the risk of heart failure death.

The European Society of Cardiology additionally explains that people with gout are more likely to have heart disease, blocked arteries, and heart failure. When it is not treated, research shows that it can double the risk for stroke or heart attack, they say. It is thought that this might be due to the high level of inflammation associated with this disease.