Key result
Colchicine cuts MACE risk ~26% vs. placebo in established cardiovascular disease.
Why the study?
Colchicine shows promise in reducing cardiovascular risk, but a recent study questioned whether this is really the case.
Does low-dose colchicine reduce major adverse cardiovascular events in patients with established cardiovascular disease when added to standard therapy?
Meta-Analysis (n=21,774)
Does low-dose colchicine reduce major adverse cardiovascular events in patients with established cardiovascular disease when added to standard therapy?
Adding low-dose colchicine to standard therapy for at least 12 months significantly reduces the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events in secondary prevention.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Supports colchicine addition in secondary prevention; confirms MACE reduction across RCTs.
BACKGROUND: Colchicine shows promise in reducing cardiovascular risk, but a recent study raised the question whether this is really the case. We conducted a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to assess its impact on cardiovascular outcomes in secondary prevention. METHODS: We systematically searched major databases up to March 2025 for RCTs comparing colchicine to placebo over a treatment duration of ≥12 months, reporting major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs). Both fixed- and random-effects models were used to compute pooled risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: Six RCTs comprising 21,774 patients were included. Colchicine significantly reduced the risk of MACEs (RR 0.74 [0.60-0.92]) and specific components of primary outcome (myocardial infarction, RR 0.85 [0.73-0.98]; stroke, RR 0.79 [0.65-0.95]), with no significant effect on cardiac death and revascularization. CONCLUSION: These results support the efficacy of low-dose colchicine in reducing MACEs when added to standard care for at least 12 months.
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Xie et al. (2025) conducted a meta-analysis in Chronic cardiovascular disease or acute coronary syndrome (n=21,774). Colchicine vs. Placebo was evaluated on Major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) (RR 0.74, 95% CI 0.60-0.92). Colchicine significantly reduced the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (RR 0.74) compared to placebo in patients with established cardiovascular disease.
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