Demidowich AP, et al. - In people with obesity and metabolic syndrome (MetS), but who did not have diabetes, researchers tested the safety and effectiveness of colchicine for improving metabolic and inflammatory outcomes. In this pilot study, participants were randomized to colchicine 0.6 mg or placebo capsules twice-daily (BID) for 3 months. The trial was completed by 37 out of 40 randomized participants (21 colchicine, 19 placebo). Among adults with obesity and MetS who did not have diabetes, colchicine significantly improved obesity-associated inflammatory variables and exhibited a good safety profile. Compared to placebo, C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, white blood cell count, and absolute neutrophil count were significantly reduced by colchicine. Adverse events in both groups were generally mild and similar. These findings suggest that a larger, properly powered study should be conducted to determine whether colchicine improves insulin resistance and other metabolic health measures in at-risk individuals.