n. a drug used for the prevention of acute attacks of gout. It acts by inhibiting the enzyme zanthine oxidase, thereby reducing the level of uric acid in the blood and tissues. Side-effects include gout flares, nausea, diarrhoea, rash, and liver function abnormalities.
n. a disease in which a defect in purine metabolism causes an excess of uric acid and its salts (urates) to accumulate in the bloodstream and the joints respectively. It results in attacks of acute gouty arthritis and chronic destruction of the joints and deposits of urates (tophi) in the skin and cartilage, especially of the ears. The excess of urates also damages the kidneys, in which stones may form. Long-term treatment with drugs that increase the excretion of urates (*uricosuric drugs), or with urate-lowering therapy, such as, *allopurinol or *febuxostat, can control the joint disease. Urate-lowering therapy may also help with urate stones, but uricosurics are not used as they can precipitate uric acid stones by increasing uric acid excretion in the urine. Acute attacks of gout are treated with anti-inflammatory analgesics, colchicine, or corticosteroids. See also podagra.... gout
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