Calcium-Channel Blockers and Losartan Are Associated with Lower Risk for Gout in Hypertensive Patients

Antihypertensive drugs either increase serum uric acid levels (e.g., diuretics, β-blockers) or decrease serum uric acid levels (e.g., calcium-channel blockers, losartan). An association between thiazide diuretics and gout is widely accepted, but whether other drug classes raise or lower risk for gout is unclear. In this case-control study, investigators determined the association between use of antihypertensive drugs and risk for incident gout in patients with hypertension.

Nearly 25,000 adults (age range, 20–79) with incident gout were matched with 50,000 controls. After adjustments for multiple potential confounders (e.g., age, sex, body-mass index, alcohol intake), risk for incident gout was significantly lower among hypertensive patients…