Colchicine Reduces Stroke in Heart Attack Patients

Most people don’t know that 30 days after a heart attack, there is a high risk of suffering a stroke.

These post-heart attack strokes are more lethal than seen in typical stroke patients.

During the first three years after suffering a heart attack, the stroke risk remains 2-3 times higher than expected before dropping back to normal.¹

A major, placebo-controlled study published in the New England Journal of Medicine evaluated patients who had a recent heart attack and were then given 0.5 mg of colchicine daily.

The first data set showed that colchicine reduced risk of having another major cardiovascular event by 23%.²

The most significant data showed that heart attack patients receiving colchicine cut their stroke incidence by an astonishing 74%.²

People who have heart disease or who have suffered a heart attack should discuss colchicine with their doctor.

Underlying Cause of Vascular Disease

Atherosclerosis, the hardening and narrowing of the arteries, is the underlying cause of most heart attacks and strokes.

Chronic inflammation plays an important role in the development of atherosclerosis.³

Scientists conducted research on an established prescription drug, colchicine, an anti-inflammatory medication commonly used to treat gout and pericarditis.

Studies have demonstrated that in low doses, it may reduce the risk of cardiovascular events like stroke and heart attack.^2,4

Testing Colchicine

Colchicine is a compound originally extracted from the autumn crocus and the flame lily plants.

It has been used for centuries to reduce soreness and swelling and was approved as a prescription medication in the U.S. in 1961.⁵

Scientists have been studying its anti-inflammatory properties to see if it could help treat atherosclerosis and resulting heart disease.

Researchers at Canada’s Montreal Heart Institute recently conducted a major trial and published the results in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The patients studied had suffered a heart attack within the previous 30 days (13.5 days, on average, between heart attack and the initiation of colchicine treatment).²

All the patients had been treated according to standard guidelines (including intensive use of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs) and had already completed any invasive procedures, like cardiac stents.²

Patients from 167 medical centers in 12 countries were enrolled in the trial.

They were randomly assigned to receive either 0.5 mg/day of colchicine or a placebo. Neither the subjects nor the doctors knew whether the patients were taking active medication or placebo.

When the trial began, 2,366 patients were assigned to the colchicine group, and 2,379 to the placebo group.

After starting treatment patients were followed for a median of 22.6 months.

A Clear Benefit

Researchers were studying colchicine’s impact on major cardiovascular events, which they defined as any of the following:²

• Death from cardiovascular causes,
• Resuscitation after cardiac arrest,
• A new heart attack,
• Stroke, or
• Urgent hospitalization for chest pain leading to stent placement or bypass surgery.

In the placebo group, a major cardiovascular event occurred in 7.1% of patients. In the colchicine group, such an event occurred in 5.5% of subjects.²

This means that colchicine recipients were 23% less likely to have a major event compared with placebo recipients.

Most dramatically, colchicine recipients had a 74% lower risk of stroke, and a 50% reduction in the risk of chest pain leading to hospitalization.²

 

Side Effects

Colchicine is a powerful prescription drug and it isn’t for everyone.

Overall, side effects were reported in 16% of colchicine recipients and 15.8% of placebo subjects, an insignificant difference.²

Diarrhea and flatulence side effects occurred in more colchicine recipients than in those receiving a placebo.²

Pneumonia was a rare side effect, though the risk was slightly more than doubled with colchicine compared to a placebo.²

What Other Studies Showed

Previous studies have demonstrated similar benefits in people with pre-existing heart disease. Among them:

• A 2007 study in patients with stable coronary artery disease showed that 0.5 mg of colchicine taken twice daily significantly decreased the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein, showing how colchicine lowers the inflammation that contributes to heart disease.⁶
• A 2015 study on a similar group of patients revealed that1 mg of colchicine followed by another 0.5 mg dose one hour later significantly reduced levels of highly inflammatory cytokines (signaling proteins) produced in the heart during cardiac catheterization.⁷
• A 2015 analysis of five randomized, controlled trIals involving 1,301 patients showed that 0.5 mg/day to 1 mg/day of colchicine reduced the risk of coronary artery disease, stroke, or acute coronary syndrome by 56% compared with a placebo.⁸

All these studies, including the recent paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine, provide evidence that colchicine’s anti-inflammatory properties protect the heart and lower the risk of cardiovascular events.

Summary

Scientists have turned to colchicine, as a possible treatment for people with atherosclerosis and heart disease.

A new study has confirmed that colchicine is effective in preventing cardiovascular events—including stroke, new heart attack, and angina (chest pain)—in patients who have recently suffered a heart attack.

This comes on the heels of other studies that suggest a similar benefit.

Colchicine is a potent prescription medication. Most studies suggest that low doses of 0.5 mg/day are safe and effective, though a small number of people may experience side effects.

People with heart disease or at risk for a heart attack or stroke may wish to discuss low-dose colchicine with their doctors.

If you have any questions on the scientific content of this article, please call a Life Extension® Wellness Specialist at 1-866-864-3027.

References

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12. Perico N, Ostermann D, Bontempeill M, et al. Colchicine interferes with L-selectin and leukocyte function-associated antigen-1 expression on human T lymphocytes and inhibits T cell activation. J Am Soc Nephrol. 1996 Apr;7(4):594-601.
13. Pope RM, Tschopp J. The role of interleukin-1 and the inflammasome in gout: implications for therapy. Arthritis Rheum. 2007 Oct;56(10):3183-8.
14. Available at: https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/colchicine-oral-route/side-effects/drg-20067653. Accessed May 22, 2020.