A drug used to treat gout could reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke, according to a new study. Researchers found colchicine – an inexpensive drug used to treat the painful type of arthritis – could cut heart attacks and strokes in people with cardiovascular disease.
The review examined the effects of low doses of the drug and found no increase in serious side effects. Scientists say cardiovascular disease is often driven by chronic low-grade inflammation, which contributes to recurrent cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and strokes. Colchicine has anti-inflammatory properties that make it a promising option for people with heart disease.
The review included 12 trials involving nearly 23,000 people with a history of heart disease, heart attack or stroke. The studies looked at patients who took colchicine for at least six months, with doses of 0.5 mg once or twice a day. Most of the participants were male, and the average age was 57- to 74-years-old.
Half received colchicine, while the other half received either a placebo or no additional treatment alongside their usual care. Overall, those taking low-dose colchicine were less likely to experience a heart attack or stroke. For every 1,000 people treated, there were nine fewer heart attacks and eight fewer strokes compared with those not taking the drug.
Whilst there were no serious adverse events identified, patients who took colchicine were more likely to have stomach or digestive side effects, but those were usually mild and didn’t last long. Co-lead author Dr Ramin Ebrahimi said: “Among 200 people with cardiovascular disease – where we would normally expect around seven heart attacks and four strokes – using low-dose colchicine could prevent about two of each.”
Dr Ebrahimi, of the University Medicine Greifswald, Germany, added: “Reductions like this can make a real difference for patients who live with ongoing, lifelong cardiovascular risk.”
As cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death globally, the researchers say colchicine presents a “promising inexpensive and accessible option” for secondary prevention in high-risk patients. Senior author Professor Lars Hemkens said: “These results come from publicly funded trials repurposing a very old, low-cost drug for an entirely new use.”
Prof Hemkens, from the University of Bern, Switzerland, added: “It shows the power of academic research to reveal treatment opportunities that traditional drug development often overlooks.”
The evidence is less clear when it comes to whether colchicine affects overall death rates, according to the findings published in Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. The studies didn’t provide any information to say whether the drug improves quality of life or reduces hospital stays. The research team said further studies are needed in those areas.
