Gout is a form of arthritis that produces abrupt, severe attacks of pain and tenderness in joints, particularly in the joint at the base of your big toe. A sudden attack of gout usually occurs at night and feels like your big toe is on fire. The affected joint is hot, swollen and so tender that even the weight of the bed sheet on it seems intolerable. Gout usually develops if you have high levels of uric acid in your body. Some factors that increase your uric acid levels include lifestyle habits such as excessive alcohol use and certain medicines such as thiazide diuretics, which are used to treat hypertension. Hyzaar is a combination medicine for high blood pressure that contains a thiazide diuretic and another blood pressure-lowering medicine called losartan that has the added benefit of decreasing your blood uric acid levels. Taking Hyzaar may therefore reduce your risk of a gout attack.
About Gout
Gout, also called gouty arthritis, is a common, painful form of arthritis that develops when uric acid builds up in your blood and in the fluid around a joint. You can get high uric acid levels either because your body does not remove enough uric acid or because you have a high intake of foods with purines, such as liver and dried beans. Some health conditions, such as untreated high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol can increase your risk of developing gout. Although gout usually affects your big toe, it can develop in other joints of your body. The pain from gout is usually most severe within the first 12 to 24 hours after it begins, and it may last for several days to weeks. High uric acid levels can cause kidney stones as well as permanent damage to your joints and kidneys. The good news is that gout is treatable with medicines. According to MayoClinic.com, some people also take alternative medicine remedies, such as coffee, vitamin C and cherries, to lower their uric acid levels.
What Is Hyzaar?
Hyzaar is a medicine that is used to treat high blood pressure. If high blood pressure is left untreated, it can cause damage to the blood vessels in your brain, heart and kidneys, possibly leading to stroke, heart failure or kidney failure. You also have an increased risk of heart attack if your blood pressure is elevated. Hyzaar contains a combination of two medicines, hydrochlorothiazide and losartan. Hydrochlorothiazide is a thiazide diuretic, or water pill, that helps your body get rid of excess salt and water by working in the kidneys to enhance urine flow. Losartan is in a group of medicines called angiotensin II receptor antagonists. Losartan helps keep your blood vessels from tightening, which relaxes them and improves your blood flow.
Hyzaar And Gout
Some diuretics, such as the hydrochlorothiazide component of Hyzaar, may increase your serum uric acid levels and occasionally even bring on attacks of gout. Because losartan decreases uric acid levels, the combination of losartan with hydrochlorothiazide in Hyzaar minimizes the high uric acid blood levels caused by the diuretic. This effect has been supported by research studies, including a study published in the journal "Clinical Therapeutics" in 2000.
Other research studies have shown that the losartan component of Hyzaar lowers blood uric acid levels in various population groups including healthy volunteers, people with high blood pressure and people who have received heart transplants. A study published in the journal "Kidney International" in 1996 showed that losartan lowered uric acid levels in healthy people by increasing the elimination of uric acid in the urine. According to a study published in the "Journal of Hypertension" in 2001, losartan was also shown to be useful for controlling blood pressure and lowering blood uric acid levels in people with high blood pressure who also had high blood uric acid levels and gout. In other research published in the journal "Transplantation" in 1998, losartan effectively lowered blood uric acid levels in heart transplant patients who had high uric acid levels. Another study published in the "Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases" in 2003 showed that when losartan is combined with drugs used to treat gout, it enhances the uric acid-lowering effect of these medicines. The authors concluded that the combination of losartan with uric acid-lowering medicines is a beneficial treatment option for people with gout who also have high blood pressure.
Considerations
You should tell your doctor immediately if you may be pregnant, because Hyzaar may cause birth defects if taken during pregnancy. Hyzaar can also cause side effects such as dizziness, lightheadedness or fainting, so use caution before you drive or use machines. These side effects may worsen during exercise or in hot weather. Heavy sweating can dehydrate you and make your blood pressure too low. You should avoid alcohol while taking Hyzaar because alcohol can lower blood pressure and increase your risk of dizziness or fainting. Hyzaar may also increase your blood sugar levels, which can alter the effects of diabetes medicines.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Gout
- MayoClinic.com: Hyzaar
- DailyMed: Hyzaar
- “Clinical Therapeutics”; Effects of Losartan and Candesartan Monotherapy and Losartan/Hydrochlorothiazide Combination Therapy in Patients with Mild to Moderate Hypertension. Losartan Trial Investigators; AJ Manolis, et al.; Oct 2000
- “Kidney International”; Renal Effects of Angiotensin II Receptor Blockade in Normotensive Subjects; M Burnier, et al.; Jun 1996
- “Journal of Hypertension”; Comparative Effects of Losartan and Irbesartan on Serum Uric Acid in Hypertensive Patients With Hyperuricaemia and Gout; G Würzner, et al.; Oct 2001
- “Transplantation”; Uricosuric Effect of the Angiotensin II Receptor Antagonist Losartan in Heart Transplant Recipients; G Minghelli, et al.; Jul 1998
- “Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases” ; Effects of combination treatment using anti-hyperuricaemic agents with fenofibrate and/or losartan on uric acid metabolism; S Takahashi, et al.; Jun 2003
