New York, Jan 28 (IANS): Researchers have revealed that the anti-hypertensive drug amlodipine lowered long-term gout risk compared to two other drugs commonly prescribed to lower blood pressure.

Affecting more than seven million adults in the US, gout is characterised by a sudden onset of pain, swelling and stiffness in the joints and caused by the formation of urate crystal in small spaces between joints that builds up when high amounts of uric acid circulate in the blood.

"Our study is clinically relevant as the prevalence of gout has been rising in the United States and the number of Americans meeting newly-revised diagnostic thresholds for hypertension has doubled," said study author Stephen Juraschek from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in the US.

While gout is linked to consuming some foods, including red meat, seafood, and alcohol, it is also a common complication of blood pressure management and a frequently cited reason patients don't take their medication as directed, the researchers said.

However, few studies provide guidance for physicians selecting antihypertensive medications for patients at risk for gout.

For the findings, published in the Journal of Hypertension, the research team conducted a secondary analysis of the data generated by the Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial (ALLHAT).

This clinical trial evaluated the effect of common blood pressure drugs on cardiovascular outcomes in more than 20,000 participants treated at 623 medical centres in North America between 1994 and 2002.

"Our study demonstrated that amlodipine was associated with a lower risk of gout compared with chlorthalidone or lisinopril, which has never been reported prior to this study," Juraschek said.

"Further research is needed to confirm these findings, other health outcomes, such as heart failure, should also be considered with choosing a blood pressure drug."