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Colchicine in the Management of Acute and Chronic Coronary Artery Disease

  • Pericardial Disease (L Klein and CL Jellis, Section Editors
  • Published:
Current Cardiology Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

Inflammation is involved in the initiation, progression, and destabilization of atherosclerosis. Anti-inflammatory strategies aimed at reducing residual cardiovascular (CV) risk have gained increasing interest in addition to the traditional management of risk factors. Colchicine is a potent anti-inflammatory therapy that affects the inflammasome and other targets. We will herein review the most recent evidence regarding the usefulness of colchicine in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).

Recent Findings

Colchicine has recently been repurposed from its traditional use to a number of CV indications. The landmark COLCOT and LoDoCo2 trials have demonstrated that long-term use of colchicine was associated with a reduced rate of CV events in both acute and chronic presentations of CAD, with an overall good safety profile.

Summary

Colchicine is emerging as a valuable, safe, and cost-effective therapy in addition to standard of care for the prevention of atherothrombotic events in CAD.

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Abbreviations

CANTOS:

Canakinumab Anti-inflammatory Thrombosis Outcome Study

CIRT:

Cardiovascular Inflammation Reduction Trial

COLCOT:

Colchicine Cardiovascular Outcomes Trial

COPS:

Colchicine in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome trial

CORP:

Colchicine for Recurrent Pericarditis

CORP-2:

Efficacy and Safety of Colchicine for Treatment of Multiple Recurrences of Pericarditis

ICAP:

Investigation on Colchicine for Acute Pericarditis

LoDoCo:

Low-Dose Colchicine trial

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Montreal Heart Institute, Université de Montréal, 5000 Belanger Street, Montreal, Quebec, H1T1C8, Canada

    Nadia Bouabdallaoui & Jean-Claude Tardif

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  1. Nadia Bouabdallaoui
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  2. Jean-Claude Tardif
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Correspondence to Jean-Claude Tardif.

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Conflict of Interest

Dr. Bouabdallaoui reports personal fees from AstraZeneca, outside the submitted work. Dr. Tardif reports grants from Amarin; grants and personal fees from AstraZeneca; grants from Ceapro; grants, personal fees, and minor equity interest from DalCor; grants from Esperion; personal fees from HLS Therapeutics; grants from Ionis; personal fees from Pendopharm; grants from REGENXBIO; and grants and personal fees from Sanofi, outside the submitted work. In addition, Dr. Tardif has a patent pending on use of colchicine after myocardial infarction (but he has waived all rights and does not stand to gain financially from the patent).

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Bouabdallaoui, N., Tardif, JC. Colchicine in the Management of Acute and Chronic Coronary Artery Disease. Curr Cardiol Rep 23, 120 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11886-021-01560-w

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