Targeting inflammation: A missing link in heart treatments

A novel anti-inflammatory drug may discourage repeat heart attacks.

Inflammation grabbed the attention of researchers a couple of decades ago as a primary culprit in the progression of cardiovascular disease. However, identifying a drug therapy that leverages this link has been more elusive. With the results of the recent Canakinumab Anti-inflammatory Thrombosis Outcomes Study (CANTOS), published in the Sept. 21, 2017, issue of The New England Journal of Medicine, it appears that the dots are finally beginning to connect.

"For the first time, we have an anti-inflammatory therapy that can reduce the chance that a person who has already had a heart attack will have a repeat occurrence," says Dr. Peter Libby, a cardiologist at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital. "This opens up a new field of treatment and offers hope to our patients." He is one of the co-authors of the study, which was led by his colleague and fellow Harvard Medical School professor Dr. Paul Ridker.

Inflammation and heart disease

Inflammation is part of the body's natural response to protect itself against harm. There are two types: acute and chronic. The acute type occurs when you have an injury or infection. This short-lived reaction rids the body of harmful intruders and repairs damaged cells. Chronic inflammation, on the other hand, can develop as a response to long-term exposure to unwanted substances in the body, such as toxins from cigarette smoke or an excess of fat tissue, especially around the midriff.