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Quantitative Analysis of Cellular Composition in Advanced Atherosclerotic Lesions of Smooth Muscle Cell Lineage-Tracing Mice
Published on: February 20, 2019
Targeting residual inflammatory risk: The next frontier for atherosclerosis treatment and prevention
1From the Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention, Division of Preventive Medicine and the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
Insights
Low-dose colchicine significantly reduces cardiovascular events in patients with residual inflammatory risk, even with optimal statin therapy. This anti-inflammatory approach offers a new strategy for managing atherosclerosis beyond cholesterol reduction.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Inflammation Biology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Atherosclerosis is driven by the synergistic effects of inflammation and hyperlipidemia.
- Lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) are both associated with improved outcomes.
- Residual inflammatory risk, indicated by hsCRP, is a significant predictor of recurrent cardiovascular events, even in patients on statin therapy.
Abstract:
Inflammation and hyperlipidemia act synergistically to drive atherosclerotic progression. Multiple randomized trials now demonstrate that "lower is better" not only for LDLC, but also for hsCRP. Recent data among statin treated patients indicates that residual inflammatory risk is a stronger determinant of recurrent events than residual cholesterol risk. Based on trial data demonstrating a 31% reduction in events with minimal side effects, low-dose colchicine (0.5 mg daily) has been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration to lower rates of myocardial infarction, stroke, and cardiovascular death as an adjunct to statin therapy. Physicians can anticipate novel anti-inflammatory agents in the future.
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