Overview of allopurinol decisions in primary care: a narrative review

ABSTRACT

Background: Allopurinol is a type of drug called a xanthine oxidase inhibitor. It functions by lowering the production of uric acid in the body. It can be found in the kind of an oral tablet. Generalist physicians, specifically general internists and primary care physicians, are usually the first to see individuals with gout and for that reason play an essential role in the diagnosis and management of these patients. Gout is mostly managed in primary care and lasting treatment aims to reduce serum uric acid degrees with using allopurinol. Urate lowering therapy is indicated in patients who have had an acute gout attack and whose uric acid level remains high, increasing the risk of a subsequent attack. The effect of allopurinol on uric acid level is dose dependent and variable