Copyright © 2009 Peter Higgins et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

There is a now a wealth of epidemiological, animal, and clinical data to suggest the benefits of uric acid reduction and xanthine oxidase inhibition in prevention of vascular disease. This review discusses the available epidemiological, preclinical, and clinical data and considers arguments for and against a role for serum uric acid in common cardiovascular disorders. It concludes that large scale trials with clinical endpoints are justified to address this important question and to define whether use of drugs such as allopurinol should be a routine part of preventative strategies.