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Antirheumatic drugs for cardiovascular disease prevention: the case for colchicine

Willem Lems1,2, Maarten Boers3, Ronald F van Vollenhoven4

  • 1Rheumatology, Amsterdam Rheumatology and Immunology Center, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, The Netherlands wf.lems@amsterdamumc.nl.

RMD Open
|March 17, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Inflammation is a key risk factor for cardiovascular events. New anti-inflammatory drugs, like colchicine, show promise for secondary cardiovascular event prevention, with more expected soon.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Rheumatology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Cardiovascular events remain a leading cause of mortality worldwide.
  • Identifying modifiable risk factors is crucial for secondary prevention strategies.
  • Low-grade inflammation has emerged as a significant contributor to cardiovascular risk.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy of antirheumatic drugs in the secondary prevention of cardiovascular events.
  • To assess the role of inflammation in cardiovascular disease pathogenesis.
  • To explore the potential of anti-inflammatory therapies in managing cardiovascular risk.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review and meta-analysis of four pivotal Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs).
  • Focus on trials involving antirheumatic drugs targeting inflammatory pathways.
  • Analysis of cardiovascular event rates in patients receiving active treatment versus placebo.

Main Results:

  • Canakinumab and colchicine demonstrated favorable effects in reducing secondary cardiovascular events.
  • These findings reinforce low-grade inflammation as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular events.
  • Colchicine represents a potential first-in-class anti-inflammatory agent for cardiovascular prevention.

Conclusions:

  • Anti-inflammatory drugs, including colchicine, are effective in the secondary prevention of cardiovascular events.
  • Targeting inflammation offers a promising therapeutic avenue for cardiovascular disease management.
  • Future research is expected to yield a broader range of anti-inflammatory drugs for cardiovascular protection.
Keywords:
antirheumatic agentscardiovascular diseasesinterleukin 1 receptor antagonist protein

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