Gout Drugs Cut Heart Attack Risk by 23%, Study Finds

Millions of people taking medication for gout just got some unexpected good news about their hearts.

A major new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that drugs used to manage gout don't just ease joint pain. They also dramatically reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke when taken at the right dose.

Researchers at the University of Nottingham analyzed health data from more than 109,000 adults with gout between 2007 and 2021. They wanted to see if medications that lower uric acid levels (the culprit behind gout) might also improve heart health.

The results were striking. Patients who got their uric acid levels below the target of 6 mg/dL within a year saw a 9% lower risk of heart attack and stroke. Those who reached even lower levels (under 5 mg/dL) did even better, with a 23% reduction in cardiovascular events.

"This is the first study to find that medicines such as allopurinol that are used to treat gout reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke if they are taken at the right dose," said senior researcher Professor Abhishek Abhishek. Patients who hit their treatment targets also had higher five-year survival rates overall.

The Bright Side

This discovery adds a powerful new reason for the estimated 9.2 million Americans with gout to stay on their medication. Beyond preventing those excruciating joint flares, they're also protecting their hearts.

The heart benefits might come from reducing inflammation throughout the body. Gout causes chronic low-grade inflammation even between painful flares, and that same inflammation damages blood vessels and increases cardiovascular risk.

An accompanying editorial noted that the cardiovascular benefit likely comes "through the reduction of both chronic low-grade and acute inflammatory responses." In other words, treating gout effectively creates a cascade of positive health effects.

Patients at higher risk for heart problems saw the strongest protective benefits. This matters especially because people with gout already face elevated cardiovascular risk compared to the general population.

The findings give doctors fresh evidence to encourage gout patients to stick with their treatment plans and reach their target uric acid levels, knowing they're investing in both joint health and heart protection with every dose.