Flare prophylaxis is recommended during urate-lowering therapy (ULT) despite lack of proven benefit especially when initiating febuxostat. We investigated if colchicine or steroids administration during initiation of febuxostat for chronic gouty arthritis reduces the frequency and/or severity of acute gout flares.
Patients with confirmed diagnosis of gout starting febuxostat were retrospectively studied. Frequency, severity, and length of flares were analyzed. Assessment of severity based on a visual analog scale (VAS).
Two hundred and seventy-three patients were studied. The mean dose of colchicine and steroids was 0.53 ± 0.15 mg PO QD and 7.55 ± 1.30 mg prednisone equivalent PO QD; while the duration was 6.13 ± 1.14 and 6.20 ± 1.36 months, respectively. Subjects treated with colchicine and steroids suffered fewer total flares (0.30, 0.96 vs 2.47, p = .000), fewer flares from 0 to 3 months (0.26, 0.71 vs 1.72, p = .000), less severe flares assessed by VAS than those without prophylactic therapy (3.65, 3.49 vs 5.54, p = .000). Both total flares (p = .003) and flares from 0 to 3 months (p = .008) of the colchicine group were fewer than the steroids group. There were no significant differences in length of flares among groups (p = .815). Both colchicine and steroids were well tolerated.
The use of colchicine or steroids prophylaxis reduces the frequency and severity of acute gout flares during initiation of febuxostat for chronic gouty arthritis. Colchicine is superior to steroids in flares prophylaxis. Prophylactic therapy with colchicine 0.5 mg PO QD or steroids 7.5 mg prednisone equivalent PO QD for 6 months is suggested.