Colchicine is not effective for reducing osteoarthritic hand pain compared to placebo: a randomised, placebo-controlled trial (COLAH)

Colchicine may offer relief in osteoarthritis. This has never been investigated for hand osteoarthritis. To investigate the effect of 1 mg daily colchicine vs placebo on hand pain and function over 12 weeks in older adults with hand osteoarthritis. Community-dwelling adults with diagnosed osteoarthritis of the hand aged 40–80 years were randomised to receive colchicine (0.5 mg twice daily) or matching placebo. Primary outcome measure was VAS hand pain score (0–100 mm). Secondary outcome measures included tender and swollen joint count, grip strength, C-reactive protein, and Michigan Hand Questionnaire total, function and pain scores. In an exploratory assessment, we compared synovial grade and power Doppler. All outcome measures were obtained at baseline and week 12. Stata v16 was used to perform constrained longitudinal data analysis models. 64 adults (54 females, 10 males) aged 48–79 years of age were enrolled. 59 participants completed the study (N = 28 colchicine, N = 31 placebo) (withdrawal rate 8%). Adverse reactions to the study medication occurred in nine patients. VAS score was not significantly different at baseline (61 ± 17 mm in the colchicine, 64 ± 17 mm in the placebo group). Between-group difference for VAS score at week 12 was 7.6 mm (95% CI -3.5-18.7, p-value 0.18). There were no significant differences between groups for any secondary outcomes at baseline or week 12. 1 mg colchicine daily for 12 weeks was not effective for reducing pain, tender and swollen joint count or increasing grip strength in symptomatic hand osteoarthritis. Our results do not support the use of colchicine in hand osteoarthritis.