Recruiting
Phase 3

Screening & Treatment

Sponsor:

Duke University

Code:

NCT07232069

Conditions

Coronary Artery Disease Risk Factors Multiple

Coronary Artery Disease Progression

Prevention & Control

Premature Atherosclerosis

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 30 - 60

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

Rosuvastatin 20 Mg Oral Tablet

Colchicine 0.5 MG Oral Tablet Once Daily

Placebo

Study Details

Brief summary:

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups in the United States. This clinical trial will test if screening and early treatment of mild heart disease works.

PRE-EMPT will screen individuals at low 10-year risk of heart disease with heart disease risk factors to identify those who already have early cholesterol build up, also called "plaque", in their heart arteries. It consists of two phases:

1. A Screening Study - Participants will be assessed for plaque by one or both of these scans.

  • Coronary Artery Calcium (CAC) Scan: A CT scan that looks for calcium or plaque in heart arteries.
  • Coronary CT Angiography (CCTA) Scan: A CT scan that uses contrast dye to create detailed 3D pictures of heart arteries to look for plaque.
2. A Treatment Trial (approximately 1,500 participants) - Based on the results of the CCTA, participants may be randomized into a two-year trial to test medications aimed at reducing or stabilizing plaque. Participants will have a 1 in 4 chance of receiving only placebo, and a 3 in 4 chance of receiving at least one active medication. Participants will take two pills once a day-either both active medications, one active and one placebo, or both placebos.

  • Rosuvastatin 20 mg: a cholesterol-lowering medicine
  • Colchicine 0.5 mg: a medication that lowers inflammation

Everyone in the trial will be given information and advice on heart-healthy diet and lifestyle.

Participants will have up to two in-person visits for the screening study, then phone visits for the Treatment Trial at the beginning, 3 months, 12 months and 24 months when they will also have an in-person visit for a CCTA Scan. Participants will have blood drawn using an at-home collection device mailed to their home at the beginning, 3 months, and end of the study.

Conditions

Coronary Artery Disease Risk Factors Multiple

Coronary Artery Disease Progression

Prevention & Control

Premature Atherosclerosis

Study ID

NCT07232069

Start date

Jul 21, 2026

Status verified date

Jul, 2026

Completion date

Jul, 2031

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Jul, 2031

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 30 - 60

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Women aged 40-60 years; Men aged 30-50 years
2. Willing and able to provide informed consent and comply with study procedures
3. Smart phone user
4. Use of highly effective contraception by females with reproductive potential.
5. CAC score 1-99 in the screening study or entry through the known plaque pathway (with mild CAC or CAC<100 if known; elevated CAC on baseline CCTA is not exclusionary in the known plaque arm)
6. Diagnostic baseline CCTA with NCPV ≥10 mm3 as assessed by the central core lab

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Clinical diagnosis of ASCVD including coronary artery disease (CAD), peripheral arterial disease (PAD) or cerebrovascular disease (CeVD)
2. Current symptoms thought to be from CAD
3. PREVENT ASCVD 10-year risk ≥5% (if known)
4. Diabetes Mellitus (DM) as defined by any of the following: DM diagnosis in the medical record or HbA1C of 6.5% or greater. (if known)
5. LDL-C ≥190mg/dL (most recent, if known)
6. HIV (if known)
7. Severe liver disease or untreated Hepatitis C infection (if known)
8. Pregnancy, lactation or intending to become pregnant during the study period of 2 years
9. eGFR <45mL/min/1.73m2 (if known)
10. AST or ALT >1.5x the upper limit of normal (if known)
11. BMI>40kg/m2 or unable to have a CCTA scan for any reason
12. Allergy to iodinated intravenous contrast or other contraindication to CCTA
13. Current or previous use of lipid lowering therapy or colchicine
14. Known allergic reactions or sensitivity to the study intervention(s), including known intolerance or contraindication(s) to statin or colchicine, or long-term use of medications that are contraindicated with colchicine or rosuvastatin.
15. Systemic cancer undergoing active treatment
16. PREVENT ASCVD 10-year risk ≥5%
17. eGFR <45 ml/min/1.73m2 per baseline labs, (2021 CKD-EPI equation will be used if multiple options are available)
18. Hemoglobin A1c ≥6.5% per baseline labs
19. LDL-C ≥190mg/dL per baseline labs
20. Severe proximal coronary artery stenosis as determined by the central core lab (≥50% left main or ≥70% proximal major coronary artery stenosis)
21. Known contraindication to follow-up CCTA (e.g., new IV contrast allergy discovered during the baseline CCTA)
22. Individuals who are excluded based on any of these factors will be notified as to the reason for exclusion and encouraged to follow-up locally to address this medical issue with their treating physician.

Study Design

Enrollment

1500 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Factorial

Primary purpose

Prevention

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: rosuvastatin 20mg plus colchicine-matched placebo

statin plus placebo (two pills once daily)

experimental: colchicine 0.5mg plus rosuvastatin-matched placebo

anti-inflammatory plus placebo (two pills once daily)

experimental: rosuvastatin 20mg plus colchicine 0.5mg

statin plus anti-inflammatory (two pills once daily)

placebo comparator: placebo plus placebo

Placebo and placebo (two pills once daily)

Interventions

Rosuvastatin 20 Mg Oral Tablet

Statin

Colchicine 0.5 MG Oral Tablet Once Daily

Anti-inflammatory

Placebo

Placebo, non-active, drug-matched

Primary outcome measure

  • Non-calcified plaque volume (NCPV) on CCTA at 2 years, adjusted for baseline NCPV. [ Time Frame: 2 years ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Rachel Olson, Project Manager

919-309-5544rachel.e.olson@duke.edu

Locations

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Recruiting

Birmingham, Alabama, United States, 35205

Contacts

Principal Investigator:

Kevin Riggs, MD

Cardiology Associates

Recruiting

Mobile, Alabama, United States, 36608

Contacts

Principal Investigator:

Jason Cole, MD

University of California, Los Angeles

Recruiting

Los Angeles, California, United States, 90095

Contacts

Principal Investigator:

Karol Watson, MD

Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor UCLA Medical Center

Recruiting

Los Angeles, California, United States, 90502

Contacts

Principal Investigator:

Matthew Budoff, MD

Wellstar Kennestone Hospital

Recruiting

Hiram, Georgia, United States, 30141

Contacts

Principal Investigator:

Frank Corrigan, MD

Weill Cornell Medicine

Recruiting

New York, New York, United States, 10021

Contacts

Principal Investigator:

Sam Kim, MD

Duke University Hospital

Recruiting

Durham, North Carolina, United States, 27710

Contacts

Principal Investigator:

Nishant Shah, MD

More Information

Sponsor

Duke University

Last update posted

Sep 1, 2026

Last verified

Jul, 2026

Keywords

  • Prevention
  • Heart Disease Prevention
  • Family History of Heart Disease
  • At risk for heart disease
  • coronary artery calcium
  • non-calcified coronary plaque

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-26. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by Duke University on 2026-09-01. Recruitment status is synced daily from ClinicalTrials.gov and may not reflect the sponsor's current status. Confirm during your call.