A recent clinical study of gout medications has allegedly shown that heart-related febuxostat side effects were more common than those of similar medications.

Data from a large study was recently released by the American College of Cardiology and showed an increased risk of febuxostat side effects in gout patients taking Uloric versus gout patients taking allopurinol, a similar drug.

Gout is a form of arthritis which involves a buildup of uric acid crystals in the joints. Uric acid typically dissolves in blood and passed through the kidneys into the urine.

In patients with gout, the body either produces too much uric acid or the kidneys don’t process enough uric acid out of the body. When uric acid builds up in the joints, it can form sharp, needle-like crystals which irritate tissues. Symptoms of gout include intense joint pain, lingering discomfort, inflammation, redness, and limited range of motion.

Gout prevention is primarily accomplished with lifestyle prevention methods. Staying hydrated, limiting sweetened beverages, and other dietary restrictions can help avoid gout attacks and manage symptoms. However, if a patient experiences several gout attacks in a year, a doctor may prescribe a medication such as febuxostat or allopurinol to prevent further gout attacks.

Uloric (febuxostat) and allopurinol are medication prescribed to patients with gout and work by preventing the buildup of uric acid in a patient’s body. Febuxostat was developed by Takeda in an effort to offer a safer alternative to allopurinol which can cause kidney problems and severe allergic reactions.

During initial development, there was evidence of nonfatal cardiovascular events as febuxostat side effects, leading the FDA to require a long-term cardiovascular study as a condition for approving the drug. Takeda, a manufacturer with subsidiaries across the U.S. including the Chicago area, funded the CARES study in response to the FDA’s conditions and in an attempt to better understand febuxostat side effects.

The CARES trial began in 2010 and included data from more than 6,000 gout patients at 320 centers in North America. Findings from the 7-year CARES trial were released on March 12 at the American College of Cardiology’s 67^th Annual Scientific Session. The findings were subsequently published in the New England Journal Medicine by Dr. William White, the primary investigator and lead author of the study. White is a licensed physician and professor of medicine at the Calhoun Cardiology Center of the University of Connecticut School of Medicine.

Although allopurinol and febuxostat side effects were comparable with respect to nonfatal heart attack, nonfatal stroke, and death due to cardiovascular causes, febuxostat allegedly had a far higher risk of death in patients with heart disease.

According to the Managed Care Magazine, Dr. White said the mortality findings were entirely unexpected but consistent across subgroups. White has stated that “there was no evidence of a relationship with age, gender, race or ethnicity, history of cardiovascular disease, or duration or severity of the gout”.

The research team will allegedly continue to explore the database for further insights into optimal gout treatment, especially for patients with pre-existing cardiovascular or chronic kidney diseases.