Mark Cuban (center), co-founder of Cost Plus Drugs explains his company’s discussions with Humana to develop “direct-to-employer” prescription drug programs that bypass traditional pharmacy benefit companies. Humana CEO Jim Rechtin (right) also spoke with Cuban on a special panel on improving pharmacy experience moderated by Forbes Senior Contributor Bruce Japsen (L) at the Forbes Healthcare Summit on December 4, 2025 at NYU Lagone Health in Manhattan.

Jamel Toppin

When the billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban talks about what his Cost Plus Drugs company can do to reduce prescription costs, his message is simple.

In contrast, established pharmacy benefit management (PBM) companies and their health insurer owners say they have the ability to “treat the whole person” because of their large networks of pharmacy and doctor choices and an added ability to manage diseases thanks to vast databases of claims and patient health histories that they have.

So what was Cuban’s response at last week’s Forbes Healthcare Summit?

“I would say we’re treating the whole person plus their wallet,” Cuban told attendees at the 14th annual Forbes Healthcare Summit at NYU Langone Health in Manhattan. “And do you really want your PBM to be doing all your disease management and all that, or do you want to hire the best provider of that service?”

Simplicity, transparency and reducing hurdles are key parts to why Humana, one of the nation’s largest health insurers for older adults, is working on partnering with Cost Plus Drugs in a potentially unique arrangement between an established provider of health benefits to millions of Americans and a smaller disrupter co-funded by Cuban.

Cuban says Cost Plus Drugs is a “very simple business.”

“You go to costplusdrugs.com, you put in the name of the medication, if it’s one of the thousands … that we carry, it comes up [and] it shows you our actual cost, actually what we pay for,” Cuban said at the healthcare summit last week. “Then we show a 15% markup because we thought that was fair and then, because we’re primarily mail order, it’s $5 to ship it to you. And that’s it. And because of that, it’s simple, easy to understand and it’s dramatically cheaper, in most cases.”

At a time when health insurance costs are rising and could see record spikes next year thanks to a flood of new and popular drugs like GLP-1 prescriptions for obesity, Cuban and Humana’s CenterWell pharmacy business see an opportunity. Health insurers and pharmacy benefit management companies are also under fire for a lack of transparency in how they make money with many of them eliminating controversial rebates they are paid by drugmakers or working to scale them back to give their clients a bigger discount on prescription drugs.

“We are known as an insurance company, but if we’re going to deliver against consumer needs, we need to be in spots in the delivery system that can really impact the access, quality, and ultimately the cost of healthcare,” Rechtin said of Humana, a health insurer best known for providing Medicare Advantage plans to more than 5 million older adults.

“And that’s what CenterWell is all about,” Rechtin said of the pharmacy unit of Humana’s CenterWell health services business. “We basically looked at the traditional (pharmacy benefit) model and we said we are not getting the cost efficiency [and] the affordability that we need to make sure that our members are getting access to medications the way they need to get access to medications. So, we built a pharmacy to try to correct that, and then along the way, what we realized is we’ve actually got a pretty good asset here that is really good at getting medications from the manufacturer – from the plant – to the consumer quickly, efficiently and effectively. That’s good for healthcare [and] it’s good for cost.”

Cuban and Humana’s Rechtin say they want to make the model simpler and more transparent from the drug manufacturer to the patient.

“If you look at how the system operates end to end and you think about all the different players and all the different systems; we have the manufacturer, we have a hub, we have a PBM, we have a distributor, we have a pharmacy – and that doesn’t even name everybody that’s in the system, end to end,” Rechtin said. “The question is, how much value is being added in each of those at each of those steps? And then, how much does it cost? Do you really need all of that cost? And is it really all adding value?”

The initial effort for Humana and Cost Plus Drugs will be in the area of direct-to-employer programs that bypass traditional pharmacy benefit management companies. Though Humana is best known for its Medicare business, Rechtin is working to transform the health insurer into a consumer healthcare company.

Details of the partnership weren’t disclosed, and it’s and still in early stages but both executives acknowledged they see a great opportunity with employers who pick up a big tab for U.S. prescription costs, according to sources close to both companies.

But Cuban and Humana’s CenterWell pharmacy business are working together because they see an opportunity with employers who are tired of paying more for prescription drugs with few alternatives.

“We need more CEOs of large employers to basically say ‘Hey, we’re going to demand a different model. One that is transparent, one that bypasses the system that’s been in place now for decades,’” Rechtin told the Forbes Healthcare Summit audience. “And look, there are alternatives, but those alternatives can’t be fully built without the demand that we need from employers, and that really is going to require CEOs to step into the benefit process.”

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I met Earl eight years ago at work. He was a senior colleague in a managerial position, and I was an intern doctor. One day, I went to the pharmacy to get medicine for a very sick patient. The nurses who had gone before me had been denied. The pharmacy was packed, but I walked in with the patient’s file, introduced myself, sat on a stool, and told them I knew the drug was available and I wasn’t leaving without it. I even added that I would speak to their manager if necessary.

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Earl looked at me and asked, “What’s your name?”

“MB,” I replied. He said, “I’m yet to see an intern doctor as interested in a patient’s well-being as you are. Bob, get MB the entire dose for this patient.”

Then he turned back to me and said, in front of everyone, “You have very sexy thighs.”

I was mortified and furious. Just as I was preparing to give him a tongue-lashing, he introduced himself: “My name is Earl, the state pharmacist.”

He went on to say we shared the same name as his sister, asked for my number, and said that since we were from the same tribe, he would come by my place for tea. I saved his number only so I could avoid him if he ever called.

He never called, and I also forgot all about him. However, a year later, a senior colleague reintroduced us when I was searching for permanent employment as a qualified doctor. He said he didn’t call me because he had been busy. All I did was laugh, because I didn’t believe him. Regardless, he helped me get a job. It took us nine months though.

During those nine months of job hunting, we became good friends. At the time, I had a boyfriend, and he was married. I went through a lot in my relationship, and he was there for me through every step. He was there when I found out I was pregnant, when my boyfriend denied the pregnancy, when I lost the pregnancy. He held my hand when I was depressed. Earl was heaven-sent. We prayed a lot together. To date, I still haven’t met a man as prayerful as Earl.

Earl was a vibe. He lit up every room he walked into. But behind all that, his marriage was struggling. We bonded over our separate hurts. Over time, he would propose love to me casually, but I didn’t take it seriously.

He was financially stable and generous—not just with me, but with everyone. He took me on road trips, gave me thoughtful gifts, and spread kindness everywhere we went.

When he and his wife separated, he said he believed I was meant for him. His parents even invited me home and gave us their blessing. That was when I finally said yes to his proposal. Deep down, I didn’t love him yet, but I respected what he represented and believed I would grow into the love.

He was attentive, supportive, and generous. We even bought a plot of land together at the coast for business. Life was good. I conceived our first child that same year, and he became even more attentive.

When his wife found out about me, she came back begging him to let me go. I wish I had walked away then. She came back to raise their child.  What followed when she took him back was chaos. She threatened to burn the house down. Threatened to unalive the child. Earl ran back and forth between us.

At some point, he got his wife pregnant. He also got me pregnant. Those children are three months apart. He chose his children with her over our kids and me. I was taking care of two babies, my household, and work alone. Earl was barely present. When my eldest was one year old, he demanded a DNA test. I agreed. When the test confirmed he was the father, he apologized and promised things would improve.

But then he expected all business proceeds to be divided equally between me and his wife. Any resistance resulted in verbal abuse, which later escalated to physical abuse. The first time he hit me, he apologized and blamed the devil. The second time, he said it was my fault for talking back at him.

The worst one happened when he came to my workplace and beat me for cheating on him, something that was not true. That day, I felt stripped of my dignity as a woman, a doctor, and a mother. I counsel patients on gender-based violence, yet I was a victim.

With time, he got worse. The children grew up watching it. We lived in constant fear of him. Know one knew this side of him because on the outside, we looked like the perfect couple.

READ ALSO: I Saved Him From Court Issues But Our Love Story Became a Crime Scene

He isolated me from friends and family. I had no friends. No family. Only him. I prayed. I fasted. Nothing changed. I became suicidal.

When people at work noticed, they encouraged me to seek counseling. I did but it backfired. Some counselors leaked my issues. My escape came through education. I applied for a program, and Earl helped me get admission. Sometimes I wonder if he has a split personality. How can one person be o supportive and so abusive?

School was in another state. That distance gave me freedom. My youngest was almost two then. I was on family planning so I wouldn’t have any more kids. Unfortunately, I still got pregnant. I wanted to get rid of it but he found out and talked me out of it. He promised things would get better, but they only worsened.

At five months pregnant, he beat me so badly I had a black eye for a week. I couldn’t attend classes. That was when I told my parents everything. I am glad I did because their counsel helped me.

I stopped fighting for us and started fighting for myself. I started professional therapy. I became intentional about healing. I bought body lotion, and it felt good. I did my hair. Bought face products. Took myself out. These may seem small, but for me, they were huge victories. I even bought myself a new dress.

Sometimes I get angry when I think of Earl, but my therapist says it’s okay. We still talk. He visits when he can, but now I look at him with clarity. The things that once destroyed me no longer move me.

Is There A Perfect One Out There For Everyone?

I’m learning that two people can be great individually but disastrous together. I made poor choices, and the price was high. But I’m forgiving myself, loving myself, and becoming a better mother. I lost old friends, but I’m building new relationships. My parents and siblings are my support system.

Earl reads this page. Earl, I forgive you. I wish you happiness. Although I have loved and lost, it is well. After all, they say a broken hallelujah is still a hallelujah.

—MB

This story you just read was sent to us by someone just like you. We know you have a story too. Email it to us at [email protected]. You can also drop your number and we will call you so you tell us your story.

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Trinidad and Tobago’s pharmaceutical sector is being controlled by a handful of dominant companies that exert overwhelming influence over pricing, distribution and access to medication.

This is according to president of the Private Pharmacy Retail Business Association (PPRBA), Glenwayne Suchit.

Suchit was speaking during a Public Administration and Appropriations Committee (PAAC) hearing at the Red House yesterday, chaired by House Speaker Jagdeo Singh.

The PAAC convened for over two and a half hours yesterday to examine the State’s acquisition of pharmaceuticals, particularly the processes governing importation and approval.

Suchit said that concerns over market monopoly have formed a central pillar of the PPRBA’s work for the past two years.

“Basically, we have just a few major companies that are controlling everything in terms of private procurement for retail distribution and for the public,” he said.

According to Suchit, Aventa Ltd, owned by the Agostini Group, controls 74% of the private pharmaceutical market.

He further stated that Aventa (34%) and Bryden PI (50%) collectively dominate half of the public procurement tender market.

He described the companies’ structure as a vertically integrated ecosystem — one that he said is unacceptable.

Suchit said Aventa owns the SuperPharm and MPharm retail chains, giving it control “from distribution to retail”.

He also disclosed that the company obtained over $100 million in foreign exchange at the EximBank between 2020 and 2025.

He added that more than 59% of the national vend list for Government procurement contracts between 2015 and 2024 was awarded to two companies previously — Smith Robinson (now Aventa) and Bryden PI.

Priced out 

Although there are roughly 500 independently owned pharmacies nationwide, Suchit said many are being priced out and facing constraints because of the monopoly.

He said that Aventa and two other dominant distributors collectively control 70% of the wholesale pharmaceutical market.

“That in itself will give you confirmation that we have a serious monopoly in this country controlled by a limited few,” he said.

Suchit accused the major distributors of engaging in unfair trading practices, including denying independent pharmacies access to medications.

He said there is “a pattern of pricing discrimination and refusal to settle supply.”

He recalled that during the Covid-19 pandemic, Aventa supplied Redoxon exclusively to its own outlets.

“Pharmacies were denied this on the grounds that the accountant at Aventa will not sell to pharmacies and take the risk of selling and not getting payment on time and sell all to SuperPharm. That is unfair trading, you cannot decide to sell your own outlets and bypass the other pharmacies in this country. That is ridiculous and nonsense.”

Suchit further alleged that Aventa is “ breaking the law” by advertising Third Schedule drugs with discounted prices through its mobile app.

He said complaints were lodged with former health minister Terrence Deyalsingh, but “nothing was done”.

Turning to the public sector, Suchit criticised Nipdec’s drug storage and procurement management.

He noted the Health Ministry revealed in April that $80 million in drugs had expired, even though he had raised concerns as early as August 2024 about $18 million in expired medication – claims former minister Deyalsingh denied.

Aventa’s reach 

PAAC chairman Singh asked Suchit to identify the principal companies shaping the market. Suchit said Aventa owns 13 SuperPharm stores and, following the Agostini Group’s acquisition of Massy’s MPharm, now controls 23 outlets concentrated in urban areas.

Pennywise Cosmetics owns ten pharmacies, he added.

Citing a PPRBA survey, Suchit said that, of 979 products examined, 779 were from Aventa.

He argued that group companies benefit from advantages that allow them to sell medicine at prices even lower than the wholesale rate charged to independent pharmacies.

He provided an example: “If a box of Panadol is sold to private pharmacies for the wholesale price of $20 they then sell it at $19 in their pharmacy chains.

“There is a significant disparity in pricing. We have to keep dropping mark-ups to survive and compete,” he said.

Suchit added that Aventa controls many critical drugs, including cancer medication and treatments for “every imaginable complaint”.

Singh referenced correspondence between a PPRBA attorney and the Fair Trading Commission, noting that the Commission acknowledged the existence of prima facie grounds for investigation yet required the PPRBA to submit a “extensive shopping list” of documents before a probe could begin.

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• A Nigerian man has cried out bitterly online after his shop was unexpectedly burgled by unidentified hoodlums
• In a heartbreaking video, he captured the hole the thieves made in the ceiling to gain access into his large pharmacy
• Social media users who came across the video on the TikTok app did not hesitate to console him in the comments section

A Nigerian businessman shared a deeply emotional video after discovering that his pharmacy had been raided during the night.

He disclosed that the incident left him devastated, as the intruders cleared out his shelves and left the shop empty.

Pharmacy owner laments as thieves pack drugs

The robbery appeared to have been carefully planned, leaving the business owner in pain over the extent of the damage and loss.

In a video circulating on the TikTok platform, the owner, known as @zchrisfunny, showed how unknown individuals accessed the building.

He captured the opening the culprits created on the ceiling, which he said served as their entry point into the large shop.

Reactions as pharmacy gets burgled

The video drew attention from viewers on TikTok, many of whom expressed sympathy for him in the comments.

@Gabriel Emmanuel O said:

“First time seeing where they rob pharmacy oh.”

@daviddicksons reacted:

“I swear the person wey rub this pharmacy won go open him own chemist.”

@StreetWise said:

“I swear, him don dey target this Pharmacy for a while now & dont be surprise say the person don even rent store and paint am to his desire color and he was just waiting to go and carry the Goods and filled up his store and start Business ASAP.”

@Adams said5 said:

“You no need to bother yourself. Just dy watch TikTok and body wen post the sound. This is the testimony that the Lord is good and there’s nothing juju can do about it nah the person go arrest am.”

@DYUNG group said:

“Everything no be long talk oga work am like this and connect electricity to it before Celling or pop make I hear say dem entered na my won be this.”

@favorite midwife said:

“Imo God save us oo just few days ago same thing almost happened in my hospital oo, they nor succeed na dey go the pharmacy near us omo e nor funny oo ( the question is what are dey using them for.”

@oluwabukunnmi added:

“Wetin remain for this nigeria?pharmacy is the last place I will eveb think any body will rob. Wic kind country con be dis.”

@female barber added:

“Is only a nurse or doctor, or someone working there or close to u that , did this, investigate very well u will catch the person, monitor everyone around u including ur worker u will find the thief.”

See the post below:

Woman weeps as thieves break into boutique

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that a Nigerian lady expressed her pain on social media after thieves broke into her home and took her goods.

In a video, the heartbroken businesswoman displayed the hole the thieves made in the ceiling to gain access.

Source: Legit.ng

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News

Gregory Mc Burnie

10 Hrs Ago

A 52-year old man was robbed of nearly $100,000 when he went to buy crypto currency from a man in a pharmacy carpark.

Around 8.30 pm on November 29, the victim who lives in Arouca, went to the Arouca Police Station and told officers he went to meet a man 33-year-old Belmont man who he had been doing crypto currency business with for almost two years.

He met the man in the carpark of a pharmacy along Trincity Central Road, Trincity.

The victim was sitting in his car, when the man arrived and got into the car with him.

He handed the Belmont man $85,800 cash in a black bag which was supposed to be used to buy crypto coins.

Shortly after giving the man the money, two men dressed in hoodies, armed with guns, approached the car and knocked on both the passenger and driver windows before announcing a robbery.

The men snatched the money and cell phones before escaping in a waiting car.

Meanwhile, police are looking for bandits who made off with cars from Trincity Mall and One Woodbrook Place.

In the first incident, a woman from St Joseph parked her white Nissan B14 in the basement carpark at One Woodbrook Place at around 7.30 am.

She locked the car, which was valued at $17,000 and went away.

When she returned around 4 pm she realised the car was missing.

Later that day, a 46-year-old Enterprise woman went to Trincity Mall around 6 pm and parked her green Suzuki Vitara in the east car park near an ATM.

She locked the car and when she returned an hour and a half later the SUV was missing.

Investigations into the thefts are ongoing.

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NEW YORK, NY – MAY 01: Bronx VA Medical Center nurses hold a demonstration and join other nationwide ‘May Day’ actions demanding increased COVID-19 protections for nurses and health care workers on May 01, 2020 in New York City. According to National Nurses United, 139 hospitals in 13 states and representing more than 95,540 nurses held similar demonstrations across the nation to protest protest the denial of worker compensation claims and safety leave requests for those who have both been exposed and tested positive for COVID-19. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Getty Images

Under changes proposed in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, “professional degrees” have been redefined. Included in the OBBBA are

• Pharmacy (Pharm.D.)

• Dentistry (D.D.S. or D.M.D.)

• Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.)

• Chiropractic (D.C. or D.C.M.)

• Law (L.L.B. or J.D.)

• Medicine (M.D.)

• Optometry (O.D.)

• Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.)

• Podiatry (D.P.M., D.P., or Pod.D.)

• Theology (M.Div., or M.H.L.)

They now exclude nursing, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, physical therapy, occupational therapy, public health, audiology programs, speech-language pathology, counseling and mental health therapy, social work, and Health Administration.

The new bill puts limits on loans for graduate student degrees. Loans will be capped at $20,500/year and $100,000 total. But for programs designated as “professional,” the limits are $50,000/year and $200,000 total. Previously, student loans could cover the full cost of attendance.

The Department of Education claims that their “rulemaking will eliminate the Grad PLUS program, which has fueled unsustainable student loan borrowing, cap Parent PLUS Loans, sunset the confusing maze of student loan repayment plans created by the Obama and Biden Administrations, and create a new and simplified Repayment Assistance Plan.” The administration claims that borrowing up to the cost of attendance (currently allowed) could have “a negative return on investment.” Now, they say, students will no longer be pushed into insurmountable debt to finance degrees that do not pay off.”

The DoEd further states that assertions that not classifying nursing as a “professional degree” means they don’t view them as professionals is a myth. Instead, they suggest, “The definition of a ‘professional degree’ is an internal definition used by the Department to distinguish among programs that qualify for higher loan limits, not a value judgement about the importance of programs.” They further justify the change in definition noting that only 20% of nurses hold advanced degrees.

Experts in many fields are pushing back against the plans, saying they will devastate a variety of health-related fields. The Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health recently co-led a coalition letter to the DoEd’s RISE Committee. Their coalition includes the American Nurses Association and groups representing pharmacy, nurse practitioners, osteopathic medicine, veterinarians, marriage and family therapy, dentists, occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech-language-hearing therapy, public health, social work, health administration, and many others.

The ASPPH letter stresses the need for the definition of “professional” to be inclusive rather than restricting it more, as is the proposed plan.

Nursing

The American Nurses Association president, Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, PhD, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, responded, stating, “Nurses make up the largest segment of the healthcare workforce and the backbone of our nation’s health system.” Kennedy added, “At a time when healthcare in our country faces a historic nurse shortage and rising demands, limiting nurses’ access to funding for graduate education threatens the very foundation of patient care. In many communities across the country, particularly in rural and underserved areas, advanced practice registered nurses ensure access to essential, high-quality care that would otherwise be unavailable.

Russ Francis, an APRN in Nebraska and member of Defend Public Health emphasized, “This decision devalues the extensive education and critical expertise of the very providers who are the backbone of our healthcare system. The impact will be felt most acutely in rural and underserved areas, where NPs, and PAs are often the primary—and sometimes only—access point to high-quality care. This policy is a direct threat to the health of our most vulnerable communities.” The proportion of care provided by advanced care practitioners appears to be growing, particularly in rural areas.

Another concern some raise is that funding cuts and fewer students will force some degree programs to close. Others note that federal loan limits might force students to take more expensive private loans.

The “Relentless School Nurse,” Robin Cogan, MEd, RN, NCSN, FNASN, FAAN, describes the entire effort as undermining nursing as a profession, despite the DoEd’s claim. She adds that this move threatens broader equity efforts in nursing, noting that the loans are critically important to many with underrepresented and economically disadvantaged backgrounds. If the federal government implements this plan, students will face reduced access to loans and loan forgiveness, making it impossible for many to continue their studies.

Public Health

There have been devastating cuts to the CDC and USAID, and restructuring that places vaccine opponents in prominent roles. This week, for example, Dr. Ralph Lee Abraham was named the CDC’s Principal Deputy Director. As Louisiana’s Attorney General, Abraham ended mass vaccination campaigns, such as media campaigns or health fairs, against preventable infectious diseases in the state.

Many state and local health departments require MPH or DrPH degrees. Public health professionals are generally paid less than workers in the same jobs in other sectors. “In a time in which we have a shortage of front-line public health workers, nurses and other health professionals, this move by the DoEd will choke off the supply of new recruits to help fill these gaps. It is a thoughtless move in the context of the workforce problems we have in health in America,” Gregg Gonsalves, a professor at Yale and co-founder of Defend Public Health, commented via email.

“Some people wait weeks to months for a primary care visit as we already have a shortage of health professionals,” said M. Michele Manos, a retired public health researcher and professor. “We don’t have enough outbreak investigators to keep us safe,” she continued. “Shutting down the pipeline for new nurses, other healthcare professionals, and essential public health workers, as the DoEd intends to do, is dangerous and will only make these shortages worse.”

Action:

The Department of Education is expected to release a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) within the next few weeks. Prepare to submit public comment (however you feel about this plan) to the online Federal eRulemaking Portal.

You can call your Congressional representatives via USA.gov or 5Calls.org

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The world’s first saliva pregnancy test is now available on Sydney pharmacy shelves, marking the first major breakthrough in pregnancy testing since at-home urine tests were introduced in the 1960s.

The innovative mouth swab detects the presence of HCG, the pregnancy hormone, offering women a new alternative to traditional testing methods.

Salistick claims the saliva test has a 95 per cent accuracy rate, making it a reliable option for women seeking to confirm pregnancy.

The groundbreaking technology has already gained international recognition, with Time Magazine naming it as one of the best inventions of 2023.

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HAVING A HEART attack can be a scary and life-changing event. It’s not something you would want to experience again. Fortunately, scientists agree. And they’ve found an ingenious way to torpedo the chances of a second heart event.

Now we’re not talking about eating a heart-healthy diet or getting enough exercise—though both are helpful in reducing the risk of heart problems. A new study published in Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews found a gout medication that can also lower the risk of serious complications like heart attack and stroke. Best part: it might already be at your local pharmacy.

With heart disease continuing to be the No.1 killer of men in the US, there’s no better time for some cheap heart health meds. Now before you rush to buy them, here’s what you should know.

The Gout Drug That Helps With Heart Health

Colchicine is an anti-inflammatory drug prescribed to treat gout. Prices vary depending on insurance but range between $5 to $69. And now researchers are finding evidence it can also do wonders for people with a history of heart attacks.

The study authors looked at data from 12 randomized controlled trials that followed nearly 23,000 people with a history of heart disease, heart attack, or stroke. Most of the participants were guys between 57 to 74 years old. They took either a placebo or the common gout medication colchicine for at least six months, usually at a dose of 0.5 milligrams once or twice a day.

People who took colchicine had fewer heart attacks and strokes overall compared to those who took a placebo. After crunching the data, they found that for every 1,000 person treated, nine heart attacks and eight strokes were avoided in people who took colchicine compared to those who didn’t take it. There were also no serious side effects of taking colchicine, although some people had mild stomach issues that didn’t last long.

While the researchers note that more studies are needed, they note the findings are promising in repurposing colchicine to lower the risk of heart disease.

How Would a Gout Medication Lower Heart Attack Risk?

Gout and heart attacks are, obviously, not the same thing. The study didn’t answer how colchicine helps, it only found a strong link between the medication and a lower heart disease risk. However, both conditions have one thing in common.

Both gout and heart attack are worsened by inflammation. “We used to think heart attacks were mainly about plaque formation and size, but it’s now clear that inflammation is a major trigger for plaque instability and rupture,” says Navjot Kaur Sobti, MD, an interventional cardiologist at Northern Westchester Hospital. “By calming that inflammatory process, colchicine may help stabilize vulnerable plaques and lower the chance of future events.”

“Chronic inflammation is now understood to be a significant contributor to the development of heart disease and to adverse cardiac events,” adds Cheng-Han Chen, MD, interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center. “Colchicine is thought to help reduce the risk of heart problems through its anti-inflammatory effect.”

What This Means for You

Doctors say the findings are promising. “It’s a small dose with a potentially meaningful impact,” Sobti says. Chen agrees. “For people with known heart disease at risk for future cardiovascular events, colchicine can potentially be helpful in preventing future events,” he says.

Still, that doesn’t mean people should discount the heart health basics, warns Sobti. These are your tried-and-true methods: not smoking, managing your blood pressure and cholesterol, staying physically active, and following a heart-healthy diet like the Mediterranean or DASH diet. “Those habits make the biggest difference,” he says. “It works best on top of a strong lifestyle foundation.” Plus, you’ll want to keep taking statins or aspirin if your doctor recommends it.

Of course, if you’re concerned about your health, it’s always a good idea to check in with a doctor. They can take note of your family and personal history, give you an evaluation, and recommend next steps from there. That might include a prescription for colchicine.

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