Case Control Study
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2017.
World J Nephrol. May 6, 2017; 6(3): 132-142
Published online May 6, 2017. doi: 10.5527/wjn.v6.i3.132
Table 1 Demographic and clinical characteristics of new users of allopurinol treatment in a cohort of treated for hypertension from 1999 to 2007
All patients (n)2752
Mean (SD) age, yr167 (9)
Risk factors for gout, % (n)
Advanced age (> 75 yr)123.0 (634)
Male182.8 (2278)
Obesity26.5 (179)
Drug use, % (n)
Thiazides321.1 (581)
Low dose acetylsalicylic acid334.3 (945)
Niacin30.4 (11)
Alcoholic diagnosis31.3 (35)
Thyroid problems312.9 (356)
Associated comorbidities, % (n)
Ischemic heart disease230.9 (849)
Heart failure210.5 (288)
Cardiac dysrhythmias212.5 (343)
Atrial fibrillation and flutter28.1 (224)
Peripheral vascular disease211.7 (321)
Cerebrovascular disease212.0 (330)
Dyslipidemia233.5 (921)
Diabetes220.7 (569)
Chronic kidney disease at grade 1 to 3412.7 (350)
Acute renal failure24.3 (117)
Pulmonary disease (COPD/asthma)230.8 (847)
Dementia22.7 (73)
Rheumatic disease26.3 (174)
Gastrointestinal disease27.9 (218)
Drug use for gout treatment, % (n)
NSAIDs342.8 (1178)
Colchicine329.3 (806)
Intra-articular corticosteroids35.9 (163)
Oral corticosteroids32.4 (65)
Narcotics312.8 (353)
Table 2 Demographic and clinical characteristics of adherent and non-adherent patients to allopurinol treatment in a cohort of newly treated antihypertensive patients from 1999 to 2007
VariablesAdherent to allopurinolNon-adherent to allopurinolP-value
All patients (n)13921360
Mean (SD) age (yr)167 (9)67 (9)0.4457
Risk factors for gout, % (n)
Advanced age (> 75 yr)122.2 (309)23.9 (325)0.2900
Male184.2 (1172)81.3 (1106)0.0367
Obesity26.4 (89)6.6 (90)0.8117
Drug use
Thiazides320.0 (278)22.3 (303)0.1380
Low dose acetylsalicylic acid335.8 (499)32.8 (446)0.0917
Niacin30.4 (5)0.4 (6)0.7333
Alcoholic diagnosis21.2 (16)1.4 (19)0.5622
Thyroid problems213.1 (182)12.8 (174)0.8264
Associated comorbidities, % (n)
Ischemic heart disease231.3 (435)30.4 (414)0.6460
Chronic heart failure210.7 (149)10.2 (139)0.6787
Cardiac dysrhythmias211.5 (160)13.5 (183)0.1193
Atrial fibrillation and flutter27.5 (104)8.8 (120)0.1946
Peripheral vascular disease212.1 (168)11.3 (153)0.5034
Cerebrovascular disease212.3 (172)11.6 (158)0.5509
Dyslipidemia235.0 (487)31.9 (434)0.0875
Diabetes221.1 (294)20.2 (275)0.5599
Chronic kidney disease at grade 1 to 3412.7 (177)12.7 (173)0.9968
Acute renal failure24.3 (60)4.2 (57)0.8769
Pulmonary disease (COPD/asthma)231.4 (437)30.1 (410)0.4787
Dementia22.9 (40)2.4 (33)0.4656
Rheumatic disease25.0 (69)7.7 (105)0.0029
Gastrointestinal disease27.5 (105)8.3 (113)0.4571
Drug use for gout treatment3, % (n)
NSAIDs337.8 (526)47.9 (652)< 0.0001
Colchicine326.9 (374)31.8 (432)0.0048
Intra-articular corticosteroids36.4 (89)5.4 (74)0.2899
Oral corticosteroids31.9 (27)2.8 (38)0.1400
Narcotics312.9 (179)12.8 (174)0.9593
Table 3 Exposure to allopurinol
BaselineDuring follow-up
Patients (n)27522570
Allopurinol
Mean dose used during the period (± SD)210.9 (± 97.5)243.3 (± 128.2)
Proportion of patients taking < 300 mg (%)64.7 (1782)53.5 (1374)
Proportion of patients taking 300 mg (%)33.5 (921)40.8 (1049)
Proportion of patients taking > 300 mg (%)1.8 (49)5.7 (147)
Febuxostat
Proportion of patients who received at least 1 claim of febuxostat (%)0 (0)0 (0)
Mean dose used during the period (± SD)NANA
Table 4 Characteristics of patients with end-stage renal disease and their matched controls
Cases occurring in the follow-up and their controls
Cases (n = 22)Controls (n = 319)
Characteristics, % (n) unless otherwise noted
Allopurinol adherence ≥ 80%31.8 (7)57.1 (182)
Age (mean, continuous)174.2 (60-78)74.8 (60-78)
Older than 75 yr136.4 (8)38.6 (123)
Ischemic heart disease218.2 (4)24.8 (79)
Heart failure29.1 (2)8.5 (27)
Cardiac dysrhythmias20 (0)8.2 (26)
Atrial fibrillation20 (0)4.7 (15)
Peripheral arterial disease29.1 (2)12.5 (40)
Cerebrovascular disease218.2 (4)14.7 (47)
Dyslipidemia213.6 (3)29.8 (95)
Diabetes218.2 (4)19.1 (258)
Chronic kidney disease with grade 1 to 3354.6 (12)12.9 (41)
Acute renal failure29.1 (2)3.1 (10)
Pulmonary disease (COPD/asthma)222.7 (5)37.6 (120)
Dementia24.6 (1)1.6 (5)
Rheumatic disease24.6 (1)5.6 (18)
Gastrointestinal disease24.6 (1)11.3 (36)
Severity of hypertension (1-yr prior to ESRD)
No use of antihypertensive agent4.6 (1)8.8 (28)
Monotherapy36.4 (8)43.0 (137)
2 antihypertensive agents36.4 (8)35.1 (112)
≥ 3 antihypertensive agents22.7 (5)13.2 (42)
Table 5 Rate ratio of end-stage renal disease
Rate ratio (95%CI)
Cases occurring at follow-up and their controls
CrudeAdjusted
Allopurinol adherence level
< 80%ReferenceReference
≥ 80%0.35 (0.14-0.89)0.35 (0.13-0.91)
Chronic kidney disease at grade 1 to 318.06 (3.28-19.77)8.00 (3.16-20.25)
Severity of hypertension (1 yr prior to ESRD)
< 3 antihypertensive agentsReferenceReference
≥ 3 antihypertensive agents1.94 (0.68-5.51)1.19 (0.38-3.74)