A New Way to Protect Against Heart Attacks

It is increasingly clear to researchers that inflammation can raise the risk of a heart attack. Now doctors have a drug that addresses that risk.

The drug colchicine has been used for more than 2,000 years to treat the fiery joint-pain ailment called gout. It also is a remedy for a genetic disorder called familial Mediterranean fever, and for pericarditis, an inflammation of the sac around the heart.

Now colchicine may be set for a surprising new role. In June, the Food and Drug Administration approved a new low-dose version of the drug as the first-ever medicine to treat cardiovascular inflammation, marking a new approach for heart-attack prevention.