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Contact the study team using the details below to take part. If there are no contact details below please ask your doctor in the first instance.

Contact Information:

Dr Abhishek Abhishek
+44 (0)1782 732950
abhishek.abhishek@nottingham.ac.uk


Miss Steff Garvin
+44 (0)1782 732950
s.garvin@keele.ac.uk


More information about this study, what is involved and how to take part can be found on the study website.

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Be Part of Research - Trial Details - Treat to target in gout
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Treat to target in gout

Not Recruiting

Open to: All Genders

Age: Adult

Leicester Stafford, Southampton London Rotherham Oxford

Medical Conditions

Gout

This information is provided directly by researchers, and we recognise that it isn't always easy to understand. We are working with researchers to improve the accessibility of this information. In some summaries, you may come across links to external websites. These websites will have more information to help you better understand the study.


Gout is a common arthritis that affects one in forty people in the UK. It results from a high level of uric acid in the body which forms urate crystals inside the joints. From time to time, these crystals shake loose from their deposit and cause severe joint pain and swelling. These flares usually last for one to two weeks. Flares are treated with anti-inflammatory tablets such as ibuprofen. However, anti-inflammatory tablets do not dissolve the urate crystals. Other tablets such as allopurinol can lower the uric acid level to below a target level, and slowly dissolve the crystals. These are safe treatments that have been used for many years. However, whether their use reduces the number of gout flares is unknown. The aims of this study are to find out if long-term use of tablets such as allopurinol reduces the number of gout flares and improves well-being and to also find out if this treatment is cost-effective for the NHS.

Start dates may differ between countries and research sites. The research team are responsible for keeping the information up-to-date.  

The recruitment start and end dates are as follows:

30 Jun 2019 02 May 2024

Participants are randomly allocated to receive one of the following two treatments: allopurinol with the dose gradually increased aimed at reducing blood uric acid to below target level, or usual gout care from their GP including the option to start allopurinol depending on symptoms. People in the first group need treatment visits with a practice nurse in order to adjust the dose of allopurinol to reduce uric acid level sufficiently to allow the urate crystals to dissolve. In addition to the visits to increase the dose of allopurinol, there are three other visits for people taking part in the study. These visits occur at study start, and yearly for 2 years. Information on health, wellbeing and medication use are collected, and blood pressure, height, weight, kidney function and uric acid level are measured at the visits. People taking part in the study are asked to record details of each gout flare they experience while in the study. The main outcome of the study is the number and severity of gout flares. This and the other information collected are compared between the groups. The cost of treatment and overall wellbeing are used to find out if this treatment is cost-effective for the NHS. After the 2-year study ends, participants are asked to continue to provide information about gout flares for a further 2 years. Information about other illnesses, hospital admissions and medications prescribed are collected from their GP. The information collected is compared between the groups.


Patients aged 18 years and over with gout who have had a flare of gout in the previous 12 months

You can take part if:



You may not be able to take part if:


1. Previous allopurinol side-effects that contraindicate its prescription2. Dementia, severe enduring mental illness i.e. mental health illness that makes receiving the study information and initial screening questionnaire from GP a stressful experience3. Unable to comply with study procedures4. Life expectancy less than 12 months5. Cancer treatment, i.e. surgery, radiotherapy, or chemotherapy in the previous 12 months6. Solid organ transplant7. Cirrhosis8. Autoimmune rheumatic disease i.e. rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, connective tissue diseases, vasculitis, giant cell arteritis, polymyalgia rheumatica, inflammatory arthritis associated with inflammatory bowel disease, reactive arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis9. Inflammatory bowel disease10. Current long-term daily oral corticosteroid treatment defined as continuous use for ≥30 days or current immunosuppressive treatments11. Stage 4/5 CKD i.e. eGFR < 30 ml/min12. Pregnant, breastfeeding or planning to become pregnant in the next 4 years


Below are the locations for where you can take part in the trial. Please note that not all sites may be open.

  • East Midland Clinical Research Network
    Level 1 Knighton Street Outpatients Leicester Royal Infirmary
    Leicester
    LE1 5WW
  • West Midland Clinical Research Network
    Unit 9 Greyfriars Business Park Greyfriars Road Frank Foley Way
    Stafford,
    ST16 2ST
  • Wessex Clinical Research Network
    Unit 7, Berrywood Business Village Tollbar Way Hedge End
    Southampton
    SO30 2UN
  • London CRNs (Noclar, North London, South London, and Lutton Essex and Herts)
    1st Floor, Bloomsbury Building St Pancras Hospital 4 St Pancras Way
    London
    NW1 0PE
  • Yorkshire and Humber CRN
    Oak House Moorhead Way Bramley
    Rotherham
    S66 1YY
  • Thames Valley and South Midlands CRN
    Unipart House NIHR CRN: Thames Valley And South Midlands Offices Level 2 West Garsington Rd Cowley
    Oxford
    OX4 2PG

Any medications that will be advised to be used for gout in this study will be currently available treatments that will be prescribed in line with guidelines. As with any medication, the treatments for gout can sometimes cause side effects but it is rare to suffer any serious upset. The researchers currently do not know the benefit to patients taking part in the study. However, this study will help them to learn more about how gout should be treated and improve the care of patients with gout in the future.

Dr Abhishek Abhishek
+44 (0)1782 732950
abhishek.abhishek@nottingham.ac.uk


Miss Steff Garvin
+44 (0)1782 732950
s.garvin@keele.ac.uk



More information about this study, what is involved and how to take part can be found on the study website.


The study is sponsored by University of Nottingham and funded by National Institute for Health Research.



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Read full details for Trial ID: ISRCTN12059648
Last updated 08 April 2025

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