Affecting more than 7 million adults in the United States, gout is characterized by a sudden onset of pain, swelling, and stiffness in the joints.
It is 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 patients don’t take their medication as directed.
However, few studies provide guidance for physicians selecting antihypertensive medications for patients at risk for gout.
In a recent study from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, researchers found that high blood pressure drug amlodipine lowered long-term gout risk compared to two other drugs commonly prescribed to lower blood pressure.
The study is published in the Journal of Hypertension. The lead author is Stephen Juraschek, MD, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine at BIDMC.
In the study, the team did an analysis of the data generated by the Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial (ALLHAT).
This clinical study 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.
They found that high blood pressure drug amlodipine was linked to a lower risk of gout compared with chlorthalidone or lisinopril, which has never been reported before.
The 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.
The team says further research is needed to confirm these findings. Other health outcomes, such as heart failure, should also be considered with choosing a blood pressure drug.
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