Source: Thailand Medical News Jan 28, 2020 4 years, 9 months, 3 weeks, 4 days, 22 hours ago
Typically affecting more than 7 million adults in the United States, and about 52 million people wordwide,
gout is characterized by a sudden onset of pain, swelling and stiffness in the joints and caused by the formation of urate crystal in small spaces between joints that builds up when high amounts of uric acid circulate in the blood. While
gout is linked to consuming some foods, including red meat, seafood, and alcohol, it is also a common complication of blood pressure management and a frequently cited reason is that patients don't take their medication as directed. However, few studies provide guidance for physicians selecting antihypertensive medications for patients at risk for
gout.
A recent research study led by physician-researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) reports that the antihypertensive drug
amlodipine lowered long-term
gout risk compared to two other drugs commonly prescribed to lower blood pressure. The findings are published in the
Journal of Hypertension.
Corresponding author Dr Stephen Juraschek, MD, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine at BIDMC told
Thailand Medical News via a phone interview, "Our study is clinically relevant as the prevalence of
gout has been rising in the United States and the number of Americans meeting newly-revised diagnostic thresholds for hypertension has doubled. Our study demonstrated that
amlodipine was associated with a lower risk of
gout compared with chlorthalidone or lisinopril, which has never been reported prior to this study."
Dr Juraschek and colleagues conducted a secondary analysis of the data generated by the Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial (ALLHAT). This clinical trial evaluated the effect of common blood pressure drugs on cardiovascular outcomes in more than 20,000 participants treated at 623 medical centers in North America between 1994 and 2002.
Dr Juraschek further added, “Additional research is needed to confirm these findings. Other health outcomes, such as heart failure, should also be considered with choosing a
blood pressure drug."
Reference : Stephen P. Juraschek et al, The effects of antihypertensive class on gout in older adults, Journal of Hypertension (2020). DOI: 10.1097/HJH.0000000000002359
