title: Colchicine for prevention and treatment of cardiac diseases: A meta-analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Colchicine has been suggested to be beneficial in preventing recurrent pericarditis. The goal of this study was to review all randomized controlled trials that assess the use of colchicine for the prevention and treatment of cardiac diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a meta-analysis of the effects of colchicine on pericarditis, postpericardiotomy syndrome and postprocedural atrial fibrillation recurrence, in-stent restenosis, gastrointestinal adverse effects, and treatment discontinuation rates. We conducted an EMBASE and MEDLINE search for prospective controlled trials.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified 17 prospective controlled randomized studies with 2082 patients that received colchicine and 1982 controls with an average follow-up duration of 12 months. Treatment with colchicine is associated with reduced risk of pericarditis recurrence/postpericardiotomy syndrome (OR: 0.37; 95% CI: 0.29-0.47; P<0.001) and lower recurrence of atrial fibrillation rates after cardiac surgery and ablation procedures. However, gastrointestinal side effects were more common in patients treated with colchicine (OR: 2.6; 95% CI: 1.82-3.72; P<0.001) in all subgroups except for those treated for prevention of recurrent pericarditis. The higher rates of side effects resulted in higher incidence of treatment discontinuation in patients treated with colchicine.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Colchicine appears to be efficacious and well tolerated for recurrent pericarditis/postpericardiotomy syndrome and recurrence of postprocedural atrial fibrillation. However, its efficacy may be limited by its gastrointestinal adverse events and treatment discontinuation rates particularly in postoperative patients.
authors: Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, London, UK.|First Cardiology Department, University of Athens Medical School, Hippokration General Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors: Nikolaos
authors: N
authors: Papageorgiou
authors: Cardiovascular Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.
authors: Alexandros
authors: A
authors: Briasoulis
authors: First Cardiology Department, University of Athens Medical School, Hippokration General Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors: George
authors: G
authors: Lazaros
authors: Cardiology Department, Maria Vittoria Hospital, Torino, Italy.|Department of Public Health and Pediatrics, University of Torino, Torino, Italy.
authors: Massimo
authors: M
authors: Imazio
authors: First Cardiology Department, University of Athens Medical School, Hippokration General Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors: Dimitris
authors: D
authors: Tousoulis
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002317:Cardiovascular Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003078:Colchicine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D002317:Cardiovascular Agents; D003078:Colchicine
keywords: Atrial fibrillation; Colchicine; Coronary artery disease; Gastrointestinal side effects; Pericarditis; Post-pericardiotomy syndrome