title: Gout.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gout affects about 5% of men and 1% of women, with up to 80% of people experiencing a recurrent attack within 3 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a systematic review and aimed to answer the following clinical questions: What are the effects of treatments for acute gout? What are the effects of treatments to prevent gout in people with prior acute episodes? We searched: Medline, Embase, The Cochrane Library, and other important databases up to September 2010 (Clinical Evidence reviews are updated periodically; please check our website for the most up-to-date version of this review). We included harms alerts from relevant organisations such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found 16 systematic reviews, RCTs, or observational studies that met our inclusion criteria. We performed a GRADE evaluation of the quality of evidence for interventions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this systematic review, we present information relating to the effectiveness and safety of the following interventions: colchicine, corticosteroids, corticotropin (ACTH), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), sulfinpyrazone, xanthine oxidase inhibitors, advice to lose weight, advice to reduce alcohol intake, and advice to reduce dietary intake of purines.
authors.affiliation: Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Underwood
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003078:Colchicine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006073:Gout / Q000188:drug therapy; D006074:Gout Suppressants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D006074:Gout Suppressants; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D003078:Colchicine