Many of the therapeutic agents for heart failure target neuro-hormonal pathways, but few if any target inflammatory pathways,” said Sula Mazimba, MD, MPH, a UVA School of Medicine researcher and cardiologist specializing in heart failure.

“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.”

“These results highlight the importance of novel inflammatory mechanisms in heart failure,” said Kenneth Bilchick, MD, MS, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine and a clinical investigator at UVA.

“The signal for benefit with colchicine in these patients was very impressive, and I expect that these findings will have quite a significant impact on clinical care in heart failure and future research for patients with this condition.”

Heart failure occurs when the body fails to adequately pump blood throughout the body. Approximately 6 million Americans have heart failure, according to the American Heart Association, and the condition is responsible for more than 86,000 deaths annually.

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