MedEffect e-Notice from Health Canada | Uloric Associated with Risk of Higher Fatal Outcomes

On November 3, 2019, Health Canada published a MedEffect Notice advising of a higher risk associated with cardiovascular fatal outcomes, such as heart attacks, strokes, and heart-related deaths, in patients with gout and known cardiovascular disease treated with ULORIC (febuxostat), when compared to those treated with allopurinol

Uloric is used to lower serum uric acid levels in patients with gout who had an inadequate response or intolerance to another drug, allopurinal, or for those determined that allopurinol was inappropriate.

READ THE MEDEFFECT NOTICE

The CARES (Cardiovascular Outcomes Study in Patients with Gout) post-market clinical trial that studied major adverse cardiovascular events, published on June 14, 2018, concluded that uloric resulted in an overall higher number of deaths among users compared to allopurinol. Cardiac events were not the only cause of mortality during this study, but did not specify the other reasons for deaths. 

Gout may result when uric acid builds up from high amounts of purines in the diet and causes sudden attacks of redness, swelling, and pain in one or more joints. A study published on PubMed Central in 2012, “Purine-rich foods intake and recurrent gout attacks“, found that a purine-rich diet contributed to a fivefold risk. It is well established among health professionals that dietary options for reducing uric acid build-up includes reducing consumption of meat (especially processed meats), seafood and organ meats, high sugar foods and beverages and excessive amounts of grains while increasing the consumption of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and legumes. Longstanding natural health supplements used to reduce gout symptoms, to name a few, include black cherry juice, celery seed extract, nettles and magnesium.

The NHPPA questions the systematic removal of natural health products from the market when the risks associated with pharmaceuticals far outweigh any risk associated with the use of natural remedies. If you are an alternative medicine practitioner, what remedies and recommendations would you offer people with gout?

Help NHPPA continue to fight for your right to treat your body naturally.

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