Allopurinol Offers No Cardiovascular Benefit

Allopurinol therapy is not associated with beneficial cardiovascular outcomes in gout patients, according to a study.

The study included 4,966 patients with newly diagnosed gout: 2,483 on allopurinol and 2,483 not on the drug. Subjects were matched for age, gender, diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and atrial fibrillation.

After a median follow-up of 5.2 years, the allopurinol group had a modest 20% increase in cardiovascular risk compared with the non-allopurinol group, Victor C. Kok, MD, of Kuang Tien General Hospital, Shalu, Taichung, Taiwan, and colleagues reported online in PLoS One (9:e99102). This increased to 25% after adjusting for chronic kidney disease, uremia, and gastric ulcers.

From the August 01, 2014 Issue of Renal and Urology News