Aortic stenosis (AS) is the most common valvular heart disease in the developed world. Once
symptomatic, untreated patients have a poor prognosis with five-year survival rate of 25%.
Once at an advanced stage, AS will lead to the development of left ventricle hypertrophy, and
eventually heart failure and death. At-present, there is no effective medical therapy for
aortic stenosis. Current management of patients with AS consists of 'watchful waiting'. Valve
replacement is needed when these patients (often acutely) become symptomatic. Recent studies
have shown that inflammatory processes with similarities to atherosclerosis play an important
role in AS. Therefore, we hypothesize that treatment with anti-inflammatory therapy, in the
form of colchicine, could reduce the progression of AS. If positive, this trial will be the
first to provide a potential therapeutic option for millions of people world-wide with AS.