Can a cheap anti-inflammatory drug slow heart disease? It might help reduce plaque buildup.

If you have stable coronary artery disease, you're likely on medications to manage cholesterol and blood pressure. But what if a simple, inexpensive anti-inflammatory drug could also help protect your arteries? A new study tested exactly that. Researchers gave 72 patients with proven heart disease either a low daily dose of colchicine or a placebo for one year, on top of their standard care. They used special heart scans to measure plaque in the arteries before and after. The results were mixed. The drug did not significantly reduce the volume of a specific, high-risk type of plaque called low attenuation plaque. However, it did make a meaningful difference in the total amount of plaque clogging the arteries, known as percent atheroma volume. Patients taking colchicine had less total plaque growth after a year compared to those on the placebo. The drug was well-tolerated with no major safety issues. This means that for people already managing their heart disease, adding colchicine might help slow down the overall progression of atherosclerosis, offering another layer of defense.