A new scientific study has shown that the use of the common drug “Colchicine” to treat gout can contribute to reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes in patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases, when taken in low doses without recording serious side effects.
The review focuses on the role of chronic low-grade inflammation in enhancing the risk of heart attacks and strokes, which makes colchicine – thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties – a promising option for secondary prevention in this group of patients.
The study included an analysis of 12 controlled clinical trials in which about 23,000 people with a history of heart disease or strokes participated. Participants took low doses of the drug – 0.5 mg once or twice daily for at least six months – while others received a placebo or continued their usual treatment.
The results revealed that patients who took “Colchicine” were less likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke, as 9 cases decreased for every thousand people treated with the drug compared to the other group. The most prominent side effects observed were minor problems with the device
Digestive system, quickly faded away.
Dr. Ramin Ebrahimi, co-author of the review from the University of Medicine in Greifswald, Germany, explained that the drug may contribute to reducing the incidence of about two heart attacks or strokes out of every 200 patients, which reflects its potential importance in reducing serious complications of heart disease.
Despite the positive results, the researchers stressed the importance of conducting further studies to determine the effect of “Colchicine” in reducing overall mortality rates or the need for additional therapeutic procedures such as coronary reperfusion, stressing that the data available so far is still inconclusive in this aspect.
