Drug-induced hyperuricaemia and gout.

Hyperuricaemia is a common clinical condition that can be defined as a serum uric acid level >6.8 mg/dl (404 µmol/l). Gout, a recognized complication of hyperuricaemia, is the most common inflammatory arthritis in adults. Drug-induced hyperuricaemia and gout present an emergent and increasingly prevalent problem in clinical practice. Diuretics are one of the most important causes of secondary hyperuricaemia. Drugs raise serum uric acid level by an increase of uric acid reabsorption and/or decrease in uric acid secretion. Several drugs may also increase uric acid production. In this review, drugs leading to hyperuricaemia are summarized with regard to their mechanism of action and clinical significance. Increased awareness of drugs that can induce hyperuricaemia and gout, and monitoring and prevention are key elements for reducing the morbidity related to drug-induced hyperuricaemia and gout.

© The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: [email protected].