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After a first episode of acute pericarditis, 10% to 30% of patients experience recurrence; half of these patients experience further recurrences. Although observational studies have suggested that colchicine can prevent recurrence of pericarditis, no prospective, randomized trials had previously been conducted. Researchers in Italy randomized 120 patients with a first recurrence of pericarditis to placebo or colchicine (1.0–2.0 mg on the first day, then 0.5–1.0 mg daily) for 6 months. All patients also received standard anti-inflammatory treatment (e.g., aspirin, ibuprofen). The original episode was considered “idiopathic” in 82% and autoimmune in 18%; patients with neoplastic or bacterial pericarditis were excluded, as were those with seru…