Objective. To profile a sample of gouty patients treated with
allopurinol, benzbromarone, or a combination of these two drugs and to describe the impact of this
therapy in reducing
uric acid levels. Methods. An observational, transversal study was performed. We evaluated 48 patients diagnosed with
gout who were seen at the Outpatient Rheumatology Clinic of the Federal University of Paraná between January 2009 and November 2010. Clinical data,
creatinine serum levels, and basal and posttreatment levels of serum urates,
transaminases, and bilirubins were recorded.
Uric acid levels were measured in a 24-hour urine sample. Patients were divided into three groups: patients given only
allopurinol (A), only
benzbromarone (B), and both in combined
therapy (A + B). Results. The average age of these patients was 56.6 ± 11.4 years, varying from 35 to 81 years. The entire patient group experienced a significant drop in serum
urate levels, from 8.5 ± 1.8 mg/dL (0.472 ± 0.1 mmol/L) to 6.7 ± 2.1 mg/dL (0.372 ± 0.116 mmol/L) (P < 0.001), regardless of the prescribed medication. The number of patients taking both drugs whose serum
uric acid values fell within normal range (men <7 mg/dL (0.38 mmol/L) and women <6 mg/dL (0.33 mmol/L)) was 85.7% (6/7) while this value for the group taking
benzbromarone alone was 75% (3/4) and for the group taking
allopurinol alone this number was 51.8% (14/27). Conclusions. The therapeutic combination of
benzbromarone and
allopurinol significantly decreased serum
urate levels in patients with
gout when compared to individual use of each of these agents. This finding is especially important in treating patients who cannot control
hyperuricemia with monotherapy.
Benzbromarone alone or in combination with
allopurinol has an important clinical role in controlling
hyperuricemia in patients with
gout.