The prior End-AF study by the same group showed that 1 mg of colchicine didn't decrease the incidence of AF after cardiac surgery. The current study, End-AF Low Dose Study, will test 0.5 mg colchicine vs. placebo in preventing AF after cardiac surgery.
AF after cardiac surgery leads to excess mortality and morbidity. Colchicine was used in several studies to lower the incidence AF but the results were generally disappointing. There was no benefit in reducing AF and there was a high incidence of GI side effects especially diarrhea, often leading to stopping the medication. However, a recently published meta-analysis showed that colchicine reduced AF, but again warned of the high incidence of GI side effects. The maintenance dose of colchicine used in these studies was 1 mg daily it is hypothesized that low dose colchicine (0.5 not 1 mg colchicine) might lower AF after cardiac surgery without the prohibitive GI side effects Patients will be randomized to colchicine vs. placebo started the day before surgery and continued until hospital discharge. The primary efficacy endpoint will be the incidence of AF. The primary safety endpoint will be the GI side effects
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Enrollment
254
Colchicine will be given to open heart surgery patients
Placebo Oral Tablet will be given to open heart surgery patients according to randomization
Istishari Hospital
Amman, Jordan
Jordan Hospital
Amman, Jordan
Khalidi Hospital & Medical Center
Amman, Jordan
Atrial fibrillation
AF documented by EKG
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 week
Side effects of colchicine
Gastrointestinal side effects
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 week
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