Medication prescriptions in incident cases of gout and controls over 5 years. Combination therapy was not investigated.
| Drug | Period | No. of Cases | Rate, % (95% CI, %) | No. of Controls | Rate, % (95% CI, %) | p |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drugs for acute gout | ||||||
| NSAID*** | 110 days post-Dx | 2165 | 53.18 (51.65–54.71) | 2654 | 16.30 (15.73–16.87) | < 0.0001 |
| Colchicine* | 110 days post-Dx | 1094 | 26.87 (25.51–28.24) | — | 0.00 — | < 0.0001 |
| Corticosteroid*** | 110 days post-Dx | 486 | 11.94 (10.94–12.93) | 845 | 5.19 (4.85–5.53) | < 0.0001 |
| Urate-lowering drugs | ||||||
| Allopurinol | Ever | 1435 | 35.25 (33.78–36.72) | — | 0.00 — | < 0.0001 |
| Probenicid | Ever | 27 | 0.66 (0.41–0.91) | — | 0.00 — | < 0.0001 |
| Sulfinpyrazone | Ever | 12 | 0.29 (0.13–0.46) | — | 0.00 — | < 0.0001 |
| Selected drugs causing hyperuricemia | ||||||
| Diuretics | 1 yr pre-Dx | 2236 | 54.93 (53.40–56.45) | 4898 | 30.08 (29.38–30.79) | < 0.0001 |
| Ethambutol | 1 yr pre-Dx | 1 | 0.02 (–0.02–0.07) | 1 | 0.01 (–0.01–0.02) | 0.2889 |
| Insulin | 1 yr pre-Dx | 197 | 4.84 (4.18–5.50) | 433 | 2.66 (2.41–2.91) | < 0.0001 |
| ASA† | 1 yr pre-Dx | 39 | 0.96 (0.66–1.26) | 122 | 0.75 (0.62–0.88) | 0.1789 |
| Drugs for comorbidities | ||||||
| Beta-blocker | 1 yr pre-Dx | 1719 | 42.23 (40.71–43.74) | 4657 | 28.60 (27.91–29.30) | < 0.0001 |
| ACE/ARB†† | 1 yr pre-Dx | 2051 | 50.38 (48.84–51.92) | 5412 | 33.24 (32.52–33.96) | < 0.0001 |
| Calcium Channel Blocker | 1 yr pre-Dx | 1195 | 29.35 (27.95–30.75) | 3762 | 23.11 (22.46–23.75) | < 0.0001 |
| Gastroprotective agents | ||||||
| H2 receptor antagonist | 1 yr pre-Dx | 1094 | 26.87 (25.51–28.24) | 3534 | 21.71 (21.07–22.34) | < 0.0001 |
| Proton-pump inhibitor | 1 yr pre-Dx | 374 | 9.19 (8.30–10.07) | 1012 | 6.22 (5.84–6.59) | < 0.0001 |
| Misoprostol | 1 yr pre-Dx | 150 | 3.68 (3.11–4.26) | 255 | 1.57 (1.38–1.76) | < 0.0001 |
↵* Small doses may also be used for prophylaxis.
** NSAID: nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs were usually naproxen, sulindac, indomethacin, or celecoxib.
↵*** Prednisone, methylprednisolone, or triamcinolone usually used.
↵† Since ASA is a nonprescription medication, many patients likely obtained it without a prescription.
↵†† ACE/ARB: angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin receptor blocker.