Following an acute myocardial infarction (MI), patients with persistently elevated biomarkers of inflammation, in particular C-reactive protein (CRP), are at significantly increased risk of further cardiovascular events. Colchicine is a unique anti-inflammatory medication that has shown promise in reducing such events in patients with stable coronary heart disease. The current study tested the ability of low dose colchicine to reduce CRP levels at 30 days after an acute MI, a key marker of future outcome, and its safety and tolerability in this setting.

We conducted a randomized, double-blind, trial of low-dose colchicine (0.5 mg daily) or matching placebo in 237 patients admitted with an acute MI. The primary end-point was the proportion of patients with a residual high sensitivity CRP level ≥2 mg/L after 30 days of treatment, a threshold associated with a worse prognosis.

At 30-day follow-up, 44% of patients treated with colchicine had a CRP level ≥2 mg/L compared to 50% of those randomized to placebo (P = .35) and the median CRP in patients randomized to colchicine was 1.6 mg/L (interquartile range [IQR] 0.7–3.5) compared to 2.0 mg/L (IQR 0.9–4.0) in patients randomized to placebo (P = .11). The median absolute reduction in CRP levels was −4.3 mg/L (IQR −1.1 to −14.1) among colchicine treated patients and −3.3 mg/L (IQR −0.9 to −14.4, P = .44) in placebo treated patients. The relative reduction was a fall of 78% compared to a fall of 64% (P = .09). Low dose colchicine was well tolerated and did not reduce compliance with other secondary preventative medications at 30-days.

Treatment with low dose colchicine was safe and well tolerated, but was not associated with a significantly increased likelihood of achieving a CRP level <2 mg/L or lower absolute levels of CRP 30 days after an acute MI.