Crystal deposition arthropathies articles from across Nature Portfolio

Gout is associated with various cardiometabolic–renal comorbidities that increase the risk of mortality. Sodium–glucose cotransporter type 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors show promise in both addressing the symptoms of gout and managing relevant comorbidities to help prevent premature mortality.

In this Review, the authors provide an overview of the therapeutic effects of uricases, outcomes related to gout and its comorbidities in clinical trials and challenges surrounding the use of uricases as potent urate-lowering therapy for the treatment of gout.

The potential association between neurodegenerative disease risk and gout is not fully understood. Here the authors showed that gout is causally related to several measures of brain structure which may explain their higher vulnerability to dementia.

Medication adherence in gout is low, and discontinuation of urate-lowering therapy puts patients at risk of flares and cardiovascular events. A strategy to regularly monitor serum urate levels and the dissolution of urate deposits (particularly if visualized by patients) might encourage adherence in the long term.

For individuals with gout, the treatment options beyond conventional urate-lowering therapies are expanding. Notable advancements in 2023 include developments in uricase therapy, new xanthine oxidase inhibitors, and a class of medications that offer dual benefits for the control of type 2 diabetes mellitus and gout.

Often viewed as merely an inconsequential episode of acute joint pain, gout flare has also been associated with an increased risk of acute myocardial infarction and stroke. New findings suggest the risk is highest within the first 60 days of gout flare, and could be influenced by flare treatment.

An important question for patients and providers is whether and to what extent dietary interventions, diet supplements or weight loss can help to prevent incident gout or manage existing gout. Evidence is emerging, but randomized trials are still needed to fill this important knowledge gap.