PharmacotherapyResearch letterA Review Investigating the Effect of Allopurinol on the Progression of Kidney Disease in Hyperuricemic Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease

This communication provides a brief report on the studies evaluating the use of allopurinol for delay of kidney disease progression and a discussion of the current limitations and future research needed. To date, only 5 studies have reported a delay in the progression of kidney disease with allopurinol use; a sixth study is currently underway. Allopurinol does seem to delay the progression of kidney disease as measured by using serum creatinine and glomerular filtration rates in hyperuricemic patients with chronic kidney disease. However, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials enrolling more patients and controlling for confounding variables are needed to confirm these findings.