Does reducing inflammation help your heart in the long term?
Targeted treatment to reduce inflammation, particularly with low-dose colchicine, measurably reduces the risk of serious heart events in people with coronary artery disease. Discuss with your cardiologist whether this is relevant for you, because not every drug works and there are safety considerations that require careful weighing.
Even when bad cholesterol (LDL) is well under control, a large proportion of people with coronary artery disease still face an elevated risk of a heart attack. A good part of that risk comes from a smouldering inflammation in the artery wall. That inflammation is also a strong predictor of new heart problems, even in people who are already receiving the best available medication.
Low-dose colchicine (0.5 mg per day) has by now produced the most convincing results. After a recent heart attack, the risk of serious heart events fell by 23% compared with a dummy pill. In people with stable, long-term coronary artery disease, a large study also showed a favourable long-term effect. Canakinumab, a drug that precisely blocks one specific substance that drives inflammation (interleukin-1 beta), reduced the risk of serious heart events by 15% in patients with an elevated inflammation marker following a heart attack.
Not every drug that fights inflammation works in heart disease. Low-dose methotrexate (a drug widely used for joint inflammation) was tested in a large study involving people with coronary artery disease and diabetes or excess weight. The study was stopped early because no heart benefit whatsoever was visible.
With colchicine there is a safety concern that deserves to be taken seriously: in some studies there was a possible higher number of deaths from causes unrelated to the heart. This link has not been proven, but it shows that you should not start this kind of treatment on your own. Despite the evidence for colchicine and canakinumab, they are not yet included in official treatment guidelines, so practice still lags behind the available research.
Finally, the benefit varies from person to person. Patients with a measurably elevated inflammation marker in the blood appear to benefit the most. Research into better selection criteria to determine who gains the most is still ongoing.
All claims are based on reviews of the available evidence. Several large studies are cited in multiple reviews as evidence that these treatments do have a real effect on heart outcomes; one large study is cited as evidence that a particular drug has no such effect. No combined analyses pooling many studies or original reports from individual studies are included in the source list.
What does long-term sleep deprivation do to your heart?
Chronically sleeping too little demonstrably increases your risk of a heart attack and high blood pressure, and genetic research makes it plausible that this is a causal relationship. Seven to eight hours per night is the zone of lowest risk: make sure you consistently stay close to that target.
Are erectile problems an early sign of heart disease?
Erectile problems caused by poor blood flow precede a heart attack or stroke by an average of 2 to 5 years. If you have this type of complaint, also have your cardiovascular risk checked by your doctor.
What is the link between high blood pressure and inflammation?
High blood pressure and inflammation reinforce each other, and higher levels of inflammation signals in the blood mean a measurably greater risk of serious heart and blood vessel disease in people with high blood pressure. Have your blood pressure and CRP checked regularly, especially if you have other risk factors such as diabetes or excess weight.
How harmful is prolonged stress really for my heart?
Prolonged stress measurably increases your risk of heart and vascular disease, particularly through work-related stress (10–40% extra risk in large population studies). The effect is real, but smaller than that of smoking or high blood pressure.
Does climbing stairs actually do anything for my heart?
Yes, climbing stairs genuinely does something for your heart. Climbing roughly 50 to 100 steps a day is associated with fewer heart attacks, strokes and irregular heart rhythms, though this is based on observational studies, not experiments.
What does my blood pressure say about my long-term health?
A structurally high or strongly fluctuating blood pressure substantially increases your risk of stroke, heart attack and premature death. Small adjustments such as eating less salt and measuring regularly make a demonstrable difference.