Fenofibrate Tied to Lower Gout Risk

By Kelly Young

Edited by David G. Fairchild, MD, MPH, and Lorenzo Di Francesco, MD, FACP, FHM

Fenofibrate is associated with lower risk for incident gout among patients with type 2 diabetes, according to a study in the Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.

Nearly 10,000 patients with type 2 diabetes were randomized to receive either fenofibrate or placebo for 5 years. In this post-hoc analysis, researchers looked at rates of incident gout.

After 6-weeks' run-in, uric acid levels had fallen by 20% with fenofibrate, and at 1 year, levels remained 20% lower in the fenofibrate group than placebo group. During 5 years' follow-up, patients in the placebo group were more likely than fenofibrate recipients to have a first episode of gout (3.1% vs. 1.7%). An estimated 71 patients would need to be treated to prevent one gout episode.

The authors conclude: "Fenofibrate, which has existing indications in type 2 diabetes for lipid management and, in some countries, for treatment of retinopathy, could be a valuable adjunct to reduce the burden of gout in individuals with type 2 diabetes."