Abstract Body (Do not enter title and authors here):
Introduction:
Colchicine has emerged as a promising anti-inflammatory therapy for secondary prevention in coronary artery disease (CAD). Despite growing evidence supporting its cardiovascular benefits, real-world utilization patterns remain poorly characterized. This study examines trends in colchicine use among patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) over the past decade.
Methods:
We conducted a retrospective cohort study using TriNetX US collaborative network. Adult patients (≥18 years) with ischemic heart disease were included, while those with a diagnosis of gout were excluded. Annual colchicine prescription data were collected from 2015 to 2024. The utilization rates (prescriptions per/100,000 person-day) of Colchicine for coronary artery disease were calculated and stratified by sex, race, and ethnicity.
Results:
Among 6.1 million patients with CAD, colchicine use increased steadily over the past decade. The overall proportion of colchicine use rose from 0.13% in 2015 to 0.47% in 2024, a 261% increase, and the utilization rate increased from 3.76 to 15.49 per 100,000 person-days, a 312% increase.
Sex-based analysis revealed that in 2024, males had higher utilization (0.55%; 18.11) compared to females (0.39%; 12.35). Race-stratified data from 2024 showed the highest utilization rate among African American patients (0.53%; 17.3), followed by Asian (0.48%; 15.9), and White (0.47%; 14.9) patients. Native Hawaiians had the lowest utilization (0.33%; 13.9). Non-Hispanic patients had slightly higher utilization (0.49%; 15.7) than Hispanic patients (0.45%; 14.8), though both groups saw a fivefold increase since 2015.
Conclusion:
Colchicine use among patients with CAD has increased meaningfully over the past decade; however, absolute utilization for cardiovascular risk reduction remains low. Persistent disparities in prescribing patterns by sex, race, and ethnicity underscore the need for more equitable implementation.