A remedy for gout may help people with heart failure

Heart failure occurs when the heart can not contract effectively and does not supply blood to all organs and tissues. American researchers have tried to solve this problem by means of a long-known remedy for gout, Medical News Today reports.

Scientists from the University of Cincinnati have studied the effect of probenecid on people with heart failure. Probenecid is a drug used to treat gout. Twenty people with heart failure participated in the study. The average age of the volunteers was 57 years.

The participants took probenecid or placebo for 4 weeks. It turned out that probenecid helped to improve cardiac performance. In particular, the ejection fraction (the blood volume that the heart is capable to eject) was increased. It is important to note that the drug did not cause significant side effects.

Source: Medical News Today.