inflammation and neurohormonal process. Many of the therapeutic agents for heart failure target neurohormonal pathways, but few if any target inflammatory pathways,” Mazimba notes.
“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,” Mazimba adds.
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How to protect your heart
About 6 million Americans have heart failure and it causes more than 86,000 deaths a year, according to the American Heart Association.
Having gout increases your risk of developing cardiovascular disease, however, there are some things you can do to protect yourself and your heart:
Take your gout medication as prescribed
A third of gout patients stop taking their medication or use it inconsistently. Stopping your medication can leave you vulnerable to gout flares and cardiovascular disease because high uric acid levels may contribute to a variety of heart-related problems, including atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).
“For people with gout, there is some evidence that controlling their uric acid level — most commonly with allopurinol — can reduce cardiac risk,” says rheumatologist Theodore R. Fields, MD, Professor of Clinical medicine at Weill-Cornell Medical College and Attending Physician at Hospital for Special Surgery.
Pay attention to your heart
You should have a rheumatologist (or an internist or a cardiologist) regularly check your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar. You may also benefit from additional tests like an EKG (electrocardiogram), stress test, or a cardiac CT and a statin (cholesterol-lowering medication) depending on your overall cardiovascular risk. Ask your doctor about these.
“The main issue is the fact that many patients with gout have obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and abnormal cholesterol,” says Joshua F. Baker, MD, Associate Professor of Rheumatology and Epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania and the Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center. “It is important that these are identified and treated to prevent the risk of cardiovascular disease. Patients with gout area also at higher risk of developing these conditions over time, so they should be continually monitored for their development.”
Lose weight
Losing even a small amount of weight can do wonders for your heart. Whatsmore, if you manage to cut enough calories from your diet, you can reduce your risk of future gout attacks.
“There is an increased incidence of being overweight in gout patients, so weight loss can be important as a cardiac-preventive strategy in gout patients,” says Dr. Fields.
Try cutting back on purines (substances found in organ meats, certain seafood, soda, and alcohol that your body breaks down into uric acid). This may also reduce gout flares.
Lastly, remember to talk to your health care provider about your personal risk factors, medications, and lifestyle changes you can make to reduce your risk of heart disease.