If you have type 2 diabetes and are at high risk for heart disease, your arteries can become stiff and rigid over time, which puts extra strain on your heart. This study tested whether a low-dose, daily anti-inflammatory drug called colchicine could help. In a 26-week trial with 100 participants, those who took colchicine saw a significant improvement in a key measure of artery stiffness compared to those who took a placebo. This suggests the drug may help keep arteries more flexible. However, the treatment did not have a significant effect on 24-hour blood pressure readings or on a marker of kidney stress (urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio). The findings point to a possible new way to protect the heart in high-risk diabetes patients by targeting inflammation and artery health directly, which could complement existing treatments. The researchers note that more studies are needed to confirm these effects and understand exactly how it works.
Could a common anti-inflammatory drug help protect the hearts of people with diabetes?
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A low-dose anti-inflammatory drug may reduce artery stiffness in high-risk patients with type 2 diabetes. What this means for you:
A low-dose anti-inflammatory drug may reduce artery stiffness in high-risk patients with type 2 diabetes. View Original Abstract ↓
AIMS: The anti-inflammatory drug colchicine has been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients with and without diabetes. The underlying mechanisms are, however, elusive. In this trial, we investigated the effect of colchicine on arterial stiffness, ambulatory blood pressure, and albuminuria in patients with type 2 diabetes.
METHODS AND RESULTS: We conducted a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial in individuals with type 2 diabetes with a history of CVD or a high risk thereof. One hundred participants were assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive colchicine 0.5 mg once daily or placebo for 26 weeks. The primary outcome was change in arterial stiffness assessed as carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV). Secondary outcomes included 24-h ambulatory BP and urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR). Treatment with colchicine significantly mitigated arterial stiffness progression compared with placebo [mean arterial pressure (MAP)-adjusted change in cfPWV: -0.7 m/s, 95% CI: -1.3; -0.1, P = 0.03]. Crude analyses without MAP adjustment showed a non-significant reduction in cfPWV of -0.3 m/s (95% CI: -1.0; 0.4, P = 0.45). Colchicine had no significant effect on 24-h systolic ambulatory BP (change: 3.0 mmHg, 95% CI: -0.5; 6.5 mmHg, P = 0.10) or UACR (percentage change: 0.5, 95% CI: -29.5; 40.4, P = 0.98).
CONCLUSION: This study suggests that low-dose colchicine may reduce arterial stiffness in high risk patients with type 2 diabetes. While these findings indicate that mitigating arterial stiffness contributes to the observed reduction in cardiovascular events in outcome trials, further research is needed to confirm these effects and understand the underlying mechanisms. Clinical trial registration information: EudraCT-no.: 2021-003525-30.Link: https://www.clinicaltrialsregister.eu/ctr-search/trial/2021-003525-30/DK.