There are various options for gout medication now. Uloric (febuxostat), made by Takeda Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd., was FDA-approved in 2009. Uloric was the first new gout medicine approved by the FDA in 40 years.

Allopurinol, another gout medication, is sold under the brand names Zyloprim and Aloprim.

However, the FDA issued a warning that Uloric cardiovascular risks are higher than that of allopurinol.

The FDA’s website regarding Uloric and a comparison of the drugs in a clinical trial states, “The primary outcome was a combination of heart-related death, non-deadly heart attack, non-deadly stroke, and a condition of inadequate blood supply to the heart requiring urgent surgery. The preliminary results show that overall, febuxostat did not increase the risk of these combined events compared to allopurinol. However, when the outcomes were evaluated separately, febuxostat showed an increased risk of heart-related deaths and death from all causes.”

More than 6,000 gout patients who were prescribed either Uloric or allopurinol participated in the clinical trial. The results showed an increase of Uloric cardiovascular risks, including fatal heart-related problems and death from all causes.

Uloric Cardiovascular Risks

Uloric works by lowering uric acid levels. High uric acid levels can result in gout, a painful type of arthritis that is the result of uric acid buildup in the joints. When tiny uric acid crystals form in the joints, the patient experiences a gout attack. The affected joint is often severely painful, red, swollen, and might feel warmer than the rest of the body.

According to Uloric’s website, gout might flare up when beginning the medication as the crystals start to dissolve inside the joints.

The Arthritis Foundation divides gout into three categories:

• Acute Gout: A gout attack happens when uric acid levels spike, suddenly triggered by something such as a night of drinking alcohol.
• Interval Gout: Low-level inflammation remains in between gout attacks, possibly damaging joints without any revealing symptoms.
• Chronic Gout: Constant gout means the uric acid levels remain high, which can lead to joint damage and a loss of mobility.

The Arthritis Foundation says four percent of American adults suffer from gout, but men are more apt to experience the arthritis more than women. Current estimates are that six million men and two million women experience some form of gout.

While Uloric cardiovascular risks are documented through clinical trials, gout sufferers are apt to have other risk factors, too. These risk factors may include:

• High cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• A diet of red meat and shellfish
• More than two alcoholic drinks per day
• Drinking soda with fructose sweetener
• Obesity
• Gastric bypass surgery patients

Uloric cardiovascular risks allegedly also increase when the medication is combined with other drugs. Digoxin, Imuran, methadone and warfarin can cause potentially deadly heart problems.

Uloric and methadone share the same metabolizing enzyme. When the drugs are taken together, the enzyme remains active for an extended, dangerous length of time. At least one patient allegedly has died from a fatal overdose due to this deadly interaction.

If you have experienced heart problems or cardiac events due to Uloric cardiovascular risks, you could be eligible to participate in a class action lawsuit to recover the costs of hospitalization, surgery, missed work, and other unexpected expenses.