Colchicine for Secondary Prevention of Coronary Artery Disease: A Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials

A cloud-based medical device for predicting cardiac risk in suspected coronary artery disease: a rapid review and conceptual economic model

Background

The CaRi-Heart® device estimates risk of 8-year cardiac death, using a prognostic model, which includes perivascular fat attenuation index, atherosclerotic plaque burden and clinical risk factors.

Objectives

To provide an Early Value Assessment of the potential of CaRi-Heart Risk to be an effective and cost-effective adjunctive investigation for assessment of cardiac risk, in people with stable chest pain/suspected coronary artery disease, undergoing computed tomography coronary angiography. This assessment includes conceptual modelling which explores the structure and evidence about parameters required for model development, but not development of a full executable cost-effectiveness model.

Data sources

Twenty-four databases, including MEDLINE, MEDLINE In-Process and EMBASE, were searched from inception to October 2022.

Methods

Review methods followed published guidelines. Study quality was assessed using Prediction model Risk Of Bias ASsessment Tool. Results were summarised by research question: prognostic performance; prevalence of risk categories; clinical effects; costs of CaRi-Heart. Exploratory searches were conducted to inform conceptual cost-effectiveness modelling.

Results

The only included study indicated that CaRi-Heart Risk may be predictive of 8 years cardiac death. The hazard ratio, per unit increase in CaRi-Heart Risk, adjusted for smoking, hypercholesterolaemia, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, Duke index, presence of high-risk plaque features and epicardial adipose tissue volume, was 1.04 (95% confidence interval 1.03 to 1.06) in the model validation cohort. Based on Prediction model Risk Of Bias ASsessment Tool, this study was rated as having high risk of bias and high concerns regarding its applicability to the decision problem specified for this Early Value Assessment. We did not identify any studies that reported information about the clinical effects or costs of using CaRi-Heart to assess cardiac risk. Exploratory searches, conducted to inform the conceptual cost-effectiveness modelling, indicated that there is a deficiency with respect to evidence about the effects of changing existing treatments or introducing new treatments, based on assessment of cardiac risk (by any method), or on measures of vascular inflammation (e.g. fat attenuation index). A de novo conceptual decision-analytic model that could be used to inform an early assessment of the cost effectiveness of CaRi-Heart is described. A combination of a short-term diagnostic model component and a long-term model component that evaluates the downstream consequences is anticipated to capture the diagnosis and the progression of coronary artery disease.

Limitations

The rapid review methods and pragmatic additional searches used to inform this Early Value Assessment mean that, although areas of potential uncertainty have been described, we cannot definitively state where there are evidence gaps.

Conclusions

The evidence about the clinical utility of CaRi-Heart Risk is underdeveloped and has considerable limitations, both in terms of risk of bias and applicability to United Kingdom clinical practice. There is some evidence that CaRi-Heart Risk may be predictive of 8-year risk of cardiac death, for patients undergoing computed tomography coronary angiography for suspected coronary artery disease. However, whether and to what extent CaRi-Heart represents an improvement relative to current standard of care remains uncertain. The evaluation of the CaRi-Heart device is ongoing and currently available data are insufficient to fully inform the cost-effectiveness modelling.

Future work

A large (n = 15,000) ongoing study, NCT05169333, the Oxford risk factors and non-invasive imaging study, with an estimated completion date of February 2030, may address some of the uncertainties identified in this Early Value Assessment.

Study registration

This study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42022366496.

Funding

This award was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Evidence Synthesis programme (NIHR award ref: NIHR135672) and is published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 28, No. 31. See the NIHR Funding and Awards website for further award information.

Inflammation, anti-inflammatory agents, and the role of colchicine in carotid artery stenosis

Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. In the last few years, the role of inflammation and inflammatory modulatory medications is investigated for the optimal treatment of coronary artery disease. It can be hypothesized that since inflammation is also involved in carotid artery stenosis development and progression, the same class of medication could be useful. Our objective with this review is to present the available evidence, published studies and promising ongoing trials on the role of anti-inflammatory medications - with a special emphasis on the most commonly used drug of this class: colchicine - in patients with carotid artery stenosis.

The role of platelets in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases

Immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) are characterized by excessive and uncontrolled inflammation and thrombosis, both of which are responsible for organ damage, morbidity and death. Platelets have long been known for their role in primary haemostasis, but they are now also considered to be components of the immune system and to have a central role in the pathogenesis of IMIDs. In patients with IMIDs, platelets are activated by disease-specific factors, and their activation often reflects disease activity. Here we summarize the evidence showing that activated platelets have an active role in the pathogenesis and the progression of IMIDs. Activated platelets produce soluble factors and directly interact with immune cells, thereby promoting an inflammatory phenotype. Furthermore, platelets participate in tissue injury and promote abnormal tissue healing, leading to fibrosis. Targeting platelet activation and targeting the interaction of platelets with the immune system are novel and promising therapeutic strategies in IMIDs.

Effect of colchicine on inflammatory markers in patients with coronary artery disease: A meta-analysis of clinical trials

Whether colchicine reduces the levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) remains uncertain. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to evaluate the overall effect of colchicine treatment on hs-CRP and IL-6 levels in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). PubMed/Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched for studies published before October 2021. Clinical trials in patients with CAD with reports of hs-CRP and IL-6 level changes before and after colchicine intervention were included. In total, 11 trials on hs-CRP and two trials on IL-6 were included in this meta-analysis. Compared with that in the control group, colchicine treatment was significantly associated with decreased hs-CRP levels (weighted mean differences [WMDs], -0.81 mg/L; 95% confidence interval [CI], -1.34 to -0.28 mg/L; P = 0.003) in patients with CAD. Besides, the levels of IL-6 were significantly reduced in colchicine users compared to that of placebo (WMD, -1.28 pg/mL; 95% CI, -2.35 to -0.21 pg/mL; P = 0.02). In a subgroup analysis, colchicine led to a significant reduction in hs-CRP levels in studies with duration of intervention >7 days (WMD, -0.65 mg/L; 95% CI, -1.08 to -0.21 mg/L; P = 0.004) and studies with baseline hs-CRP levels ≥3.0 mg/L (WMD, -0.99 mg/L; 95% CI, -1.92 to -0.06 mg/L; P = 0.04). Colchicine intervention was associated with a reduction in hs-CRP and IL-6 levels in patients with CAD. Future investigations are required to verify the effect of colchicine on inflammatory markers and clarify the potential mechanisms of the cross talk between colchicine, inflammation, and cardiovascular outcomes.