Efficacy of Allopurinol and Febuxostat in the Treatment of Gout with Hyperuricemia – A Comparative Study

Maryam Saleem; Amer  Fakhr; Ahsan  Amer; Hamna  Wajid

doi:10.51253/pafmj.v76iSUPPL-3.14043

Authors

Maryam Saleem Department of General Medicine, Pak Emirates Military Hospital/National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS), Rawalpindi Pakistan
Amer Fakhr Department of Rheumatology, Pak Emirates Military Hospital/National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS), Rawalpindi Pakistan
Ahsan Amer Department of General Medicine, Pak Emirates Military Hospital/National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS), Rawalpindi Pakistan
Hamna Wajid Department of General Medicine, Pak Emirates Military Hospital/National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS), Rawalpindi Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51253/pafmj.v76iSUPPL-3.14043

Keywords:

Allopurinol, Febuxostat, Gout, Hyperuricemia, Uric Acid

Abstract

Objective: To compare the efficacy and effectiveness of Allopurinol with Febuxostat in the treatment of gout in hyperuricemia patients.

Study Design: Quasi Experimental study.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Medicine, Pak-Emirates Military Hospital, Rawalpindi Pakistan, from Jan to Dec 2024.

Methodology: Patients aged 18-75 years, diagnosed with gout having serum uric acid levels >6.8 mg/dL were included. Patients were divided in two groups of 35 patients each. Group-A was given Allopurinol and Group-B was given Febuxostat. Serum uric acid levels measured at baseline and then at 2 weeks, 4 weeks and 6 weeks follow-ups and compared. Change of uric acid levels at each follow-up and mean reduction was compared between the two groups.

Results: Seventy patients were enrolled with median age of 45.00(18.00) and 45.00(11.00) in Group-A and Group-B respectively. At baseline, mean serum uric acid levels were 8.06±0.61 mg/dL in the Group-A and 8.24±0.74 mg/dL in the Group-B (p=0.410). In the Group-A, serum uric acid significantly decreased from baseline 8.08±0.61 to 5.78±0.50 mg/dL at 6 weeks (p<0.05), and in Group-B declined from baseline 8.24±0.74 to 5.16±0.74 mg/dL at 6 weeks follow-up (p<0.05). The mean reduction in serum uric acid from baseline to 6 weeks (delta uric acid) was 2.27±0.38 mg/dL in the Group-A and 3.11±0.50 mg/dL in group-B.

Conclusion: While both drugs effectively lowered serum uric acid, Febuxostat was significantly more effective in achieving target levels within 6 weeks.

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