Beyond Gout: Colchicine Use in the Cardiovascular Patient

Colchicine is one of the oldest medications still in use today and is commonly used for the treatment of gout and familial Mediterranean fever. Its anti-inflammatory properties have raised the question of its utility in managing several cardiovascular diseases, including postoperative atrial fibrillation and pericarditis. This article will review the evidence for colchicine in these conditions and provide recommendations for use.

Pharmacotherapeutic considerations for using colchicine to treat idiopathic pericarditis in the USA

The clinical significance of colchicine in the treatment of acute idiopathic (viral) pericarditis (IP) was only elucidated less than a decade ago. Multiple trials have shown the benefit of colchicine in decreasing the rate of recurrence, primarily in the European population. However, the colchicine formulation used in these trials is not available in Western countries such as the USA. In the USA, two formulations are available: the 0.6 mg capsule and the 0.6 mg tablet. As a result, higher doses than administered in the European trials must be utilized to treat IP. However, the use of these dosage forms has never been studied in the treatment of IP. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic knowledge of colchicine germane to clinicians such as drug disposition and drug-drug or drug-disease interactions have not been extensively reviewed in recent years. Furthermore, the safety of colchicine in the treatment of IP has not been extensively studied, and literature regarding adverse drug events originates from data in patients treated for familial Mediterranean fever and gout. This review will help the clinician understand pharmacotherapeutic considerations and thereby optimize therapy and ensure patient safety when using colchicine to treat IP.