Allopurinol and Gouty Hyperuricemia

The effect of daily administration of a single 300-mg tablet of allopurinol on serum urate levels was compared with the effect of divided doses of the drug (100 mg three times a day) in an open-labeled crossover trial of 20 patients with hyperuricemia and gout. Under both regimens of treatment there was a prompt fall in serum urate levels, and analysis of variance indicated no significant difference between the two modes of administration of allopurinol. Nor was there any significant difference in the minimum serum levels of oxypurinol. On the basis of this short-term study, the use of a single 300-mg tablet of allopurinol per day appears to be an effective means of lowering the elevated serum urate levels of individuals with gouty hyperuricemia and compares favorably with the results obtained by allopurinol in divided doses.