title: Optimizing current treatment of gout.
abstract: Gout is the most common inflammatory arthritis worldwide. Although effective treatments exist to eliminate sodium urate crystals and to 'cure' the disease, the management of gout is often suboptimal. This article reviews available treatments, recommended best practice and barriers to effective care, and how these barriers might be overcome. To optimize the management of gout, health professionals need to know not only how to treat acute attacks but also how to up-titrate urate-lowering therapy against a specific target level of serum uric acid that is below the saturation point for crystal formation. Current perspectives are changing towards much earlier use of urate-lowering therapy, even at the time of first diagnosis of gout. Holistic assessment and patient education are essential to address patient-specific risk factors and ensuring adherence to individualized therapy. Shared decision-making between a fully informed patient and practitioner greatly increases the likelihood of curing gout.
authors.affiliation: Division of Academic Rheumatology, University of Nottingham, Clinical Sciences Building, City Hospital Nottingham, Hucknall Road, Nottingham NG5 1PB, UK.
authors.forename: Frances
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rees
authors.affiliation: Division of Academic Rheumatology, University of Nottingham, Clinical Sciences Building, City Hospital Nottingham, Hucknall Road, Nottingham NG5 1PB, UK.
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hui
authors.affiliation: Division of Academic Rheumatology, University of Nottingham, Clinical Sciences Building, City Hospital Nottingham, Hucknall Road, Nottingham NG5 1PB, UK.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Doherty
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003078:Colchicine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006073:Gout / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D014527:Uric Acid; D003078:Colchicine