bpac nz

better medicine

GOUT Cavedilol Prexige Co-enzyme Q10

Editorial Team Tony Fraser Professor Murray Tilyard Clinical Advisory Group Dr Dave Colquhoun Michelle Cray Dr Chris Leathart Dr Lynn McBain Adam McRae Dr Peter Moodie Associate Professor Jim Reid Dr David Reith Professor Murray Tilyard Programme Development Team Rachael Clarke Rebecca Didham

Best Practice Journal (BPJ) ISSN 1177-5645 BPJ is published and owned by bpacnz Level 8 10 George Street Dunedin BPJ, Issue 8, September 2007 Bpacnz is an independent organisation that promotes health care interventions which meet patients’ needs and are evidence based, cost effective and suitable for the New Zealand context. We develop and distribute evidence based resources which describe, facilitate and help overcome the barriers to best practice.

Peter Ellison Sonia Ross Dr Trevor Walker Dr Sharyn Willis Dave Woods Report Development Team Justine Broadley Lana Johnson Web Gordon Smith Design Sonia Ross Management and Administration Kaye Baldwin Tony Fraser Kyla Letman Professor Murray Tilyard Contact us: Mail

P.O. Box 6032 Dunedin

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Bpacnz has four shareholders: Procare Health, South Link Health, IPAC and The University of Otago Bpacnz is currently funded through contracts with PHARMAC and DHBNZ.

Contents

T E G R A T E H T Gout - HIT

9

Gout is a major cause of arthritis in New Zealand and is particularly prevalent in Mäori and Pacific populations. The treatment of gout includes cardiovascular disease risk assessment, management of modifiable risk factors and long-term preventative therapy with allopurinol, aiming to ‘hit the target’ of