Urate-Lowering Treatments Compared for Gout

THURSDAY, July 7, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- For relatively young and healthy patients with gout caused by renal underexcretion of uric acid, low-dose benzbromarone (LDBen) has a greater urate-lowering effect than low-dose febuxostat (LDFeb), according to a study published online July 7 in Arthritis & Rheumatology.

Fei Yan, M.D., from the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University in China, and colleagues conducted a randomized trial of men with gout and renal uric acid underexcretion. A total of 196 participants were randomly assigned to 12 weeks of LDBen 25 mg daily or LDFeb 20 mg daily (mean age, 43.89 and 43.29 years, respectively). All received daily urine alkalization with oral sodium bicarbonate.

The researchers found that more participants in the LDBen versus the LDFeb group achieved the serum urate target (<6 mg/dL; 61 versus 32 percent). There was no difference observed between the groups for adverse events, including gout flares and urolithiasis, with the exception of more participants with transaminase elevation in the LDFeb group (4 percent for LDBen versus 15 percent for LDFeb).

"The results suggest that low dosing of benzbromarone may warrant stronger consideration as a safe and effective therapy to achieve serum urate target in gout without moderate chronic kidney disease," the authors write.

Two authors disclosed financial ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.

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