Impact of anti-inflammatory therapies, xanthine oxidase inhibitors and other urate-lowering therapies on cardiovascular diseases in gout

The purpose of this study is to give an overview of recently published articles covering the impact of anti-inflammatory therapies, xanthine oxidase inhibitors and other urate-lowering therapies on cardiovascular diseases in gout.In patients with gout, long-term xanthine oxidase inhibition might reduce some cardiovascular comorbidities because of the dual effect of lowering serum uric acid levels and reducing free-radical production during uric acid formation. Among the anti-inflammatory therapies, colchicine has been shown to reduce some major cardiovascular events.Epidemiological and experimental studies have shown that hyperuricaemia and gout are independent risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. The mechanisms that link high serum uric acid levels and gout with cardiovascular diseases are multifactorial, implicating low-grade systemic inflammation and xanthine oxidase activity as well as the deleterious effect of hyperuricaemia itself.