A method for reducing a composite endpoint risk of myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, coronary revascularization, unstable angina requiring hospitalization, cardiac arrest, and cardiovascular death in a subject including administering, orally once per day to the subject, a composition comprising about 0.5 total mg of (i) colchicine, (ii) a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of (i), or any combination of (i) and (ii), wherein the patient has at least one history of diabetes, a past myocardial infarction, an unstable angina, a coronary bypass surgery, and a coronary angioplasty; wherein the patient is also administered a daily dose of statin therapy; and wherein the composite endpoint risk in the subject is reduced relative to a dosing regimen where the patient receives standard secondary prevention therapy of a statin.