Colchicine use proven beneficial for patients with coronary artery disease, according to new meta-analysis
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Colchicine is associated with numerous cardiovascular benefits for patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), according to a new meta-analysis published in the American Journal of Cardiology. The decades-old medication is primarily used to treat inflammatory conditions such as gout and rheumatoid arthritis, but researchers continue to learn more about its therapeutic benefits.
The study’s authors explored data from five randomized controlled trials. More than 11,000 patients with CAD were included in those trials, and the average patient age ranged from 60 to 66 years old. Follow-up data for at least six months was available for each participant.
Overall, the authors noted that colchicine was consistently linked to a reduced risk of major adverse cardiovascular events, myocardial infarction, coronary revascularization and even stroke. There was, however, no significant difference in cardiovascular mortality between patients who took the medication and those who took a placebo.
This meta-analysis, the authors explained, is believed to be the first of its kind to reach such a conclusion.
“Two previous meta-analyses have also investigated the effects of colchicine therapy in CAD patients, and the results showed that this drug was not associated a significant decrease in cardiovascular risk,” wrote lead author Meng Xia, MD, department of cardiology at the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University in China, and colleagues. “The discrepancy with our findings may be explained by the insufficient number of patients and short follow-up intervals in those two meta-analyses.”
The researchers also highlighted the gastrointestinal events related to colchicine they observed. Diarrhea and nausea were both common among patients, no matter the dose. “More serious complications,” on the other hand, “were very infrequent.”
Click here to read the full analysis.
Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.