Could a Prophylactic Course of Colchicine Improve Gout Remission?
A recent study dove into how prophylaxis with colchicine might impact gout remission when starting urate-lowering therapy with allopurinol.1 A one-year double-blind, placebo-controlled trial looked at 200 patients starting allopurinol therapy. They received assignment into either a group receiving colchicine prophylaxis therapy daily for 6 months, or placebo, with 6 additional months of follow-up care.1
In the first 6 months of the study, very few of the 200 patients were in gout remission, despite using 2 different definitions/models of remission, and regardless of which cohort they were in (3-12% among all groups and definitions).1 In the second 6 months, after discontinuing the colchicine daily therapy either 4 or 14 percent of that group was considered in remission, depending on the definition used. The placebo group exhibited either 14 or 28 percent in remission.1
Thus, the authors concluded that 6 months of daily colchicine prophylaxis did not improve gout remission when initiating urate-lowering therapy.1
Reference
1. Tabi-Amponsah AD, Stamp LK, Horne A, et al. Analysis of Gout Remission Definitions in a Randomized Controlled Trial of Colchicine Prophylaxis for People With Gout Initiating Allopurinol. J Rheumatol. 2024. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3899/jrheum.2024-0400
