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Colchicine supplementation of standard treatment for pericarditis cuts the risk of recurrence by half, high-profile findings suggest.
The trial of 120 patients in urban hospitals in Italy who had experienced a first episode of pericarditis showed that just 24% of those given additional treatment with colchicine had experienced recurrent pericarditis at 18 months, compared with 55% of patients given only standard treatment.
Persistence of symptoms at 72 hours was also reduced in patients receiving colchicine compared with those given additional placebo, giving with absolute and relative risk reductions of 0.30 and 0.56, respectively.
Results published Advance Online in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Standard treatment consisted of aspirin 800-1000mg or ibuprofen 600mg every 8 hours for 7-10 days.
Massimo Imazio (Maria Vittoria Hospital, Via Cibrario, Torino, Italy) and CORP (Colchicine for Recurrent Pericarditis) investigators concluded: “Colchicine is safe and effective for secondary prevention of recurrent pericarditis.”
