Although high blood pressure is a major risk factor for gout, the treatments for high blood pressure can also raise the risk for gout. That’s because diuretics given for hypertension can increase uric acid levels.
But a new study published in the Journal of Hypertension has found that one particular blood pressure medication has a lower gout risk than the others.
What is gout?
Gout is a form of arthritis that occurs when urate crystals accumulate in our joints due to high levels of uric acid in your blood. Uric acid is a biproduct of broken-down purines, which are found naturally in our body but also come from certain foods, such as seafood, steak and organ meats. Some foods also promote high levels of uric acid, including beer and fructose-sweetened drinks.
The most common symptoms of gout include joint pain (especially in the big toe), inflammation, redness and limited range of motion.
A potentially better option
A team of researchers from Harvard Medical School looked at the link between gout and three antihypertensives: chlorthalidone, lisinopril and amlodipine.
They used data from two sources:
- the Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trail; and
- gout claims from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and Veterans Affairs
The study found that at the one-year follow-up:
- amlodipine had a 37% lower risk for gout than chlorthalidone
- amlodipine had a 26% lower risk for gout than lisinopril
“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,” says Stephen P. Juraschek, M.D., Ph.D. from Harvard Medical School. “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.”
