MIAMI – A drug used for thousands of years to treat gout, a painful joint ailment, may also be helpful in preventing heart attacks.
The Food and Drug Administration has approved colchicine as the first-ever medication to treat cardiovascular inflammation.
Research has established that inflammation is a key risk factor in heart attacks.
“The benefit of using colchicine is there seems to be a beneficial effect on the cause of coronary artery disease which more and more suggests is a low-grade inflammation of the arteries and that inflamed coronary artery will allow cholesterol to be deposited and that’s how we develop significant blockages,” said Dr. Allan Stewart, a cardiologist with HCA Florida Mercy Hospital.
Stewart said colchicine has never been used for long-term treatment so what still needs to be determined is the proper dose and duration of using the drug since it can lead to kidney failure.
POSSIBLE CAUSE OF MORNING SICKNESS IDENTIFIED
A new study may have found the secret to morning sickness.
Researchers said the nausea and vomiting that many women experience early in pregnancy is primarily caused by a single hormone.
According to the study, the amount of GDF-15 (Growth/Differentiation Factor) in a woman’s blood during pregnancy, as well as her exposure to it before becoming pregnant, might dictate how severe her symptoms will be.
More than two-thirds of women experience morning sickness during their first trimester.
The study’s authors said this discovery could help lead to better treatments for severe cases of morning sickness.
Rare cases are life-threatening to both mother and fetus.