Improving CHD risk factors in mid-life may decrease the risk of ED as well as CHD. Erectile dysfunction should be included as an outcome in clinical trials of lipid-lowering agents and lifestyle modifications.

Objective Lesinurad is a selective uric acid reabsorption inhibitor used for the treatment of gout in combination with a xanthine oxidase inhibitor. The Combining Lesinurad with Allopurinol Standard of Care in Inadequate Responders (CLEAR 1) study, a 12‐month, multicenter, randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled phase III trial, was conducted to investigate daily lesinurad (200 mg or 400 mg orally) added to allopurinol versus placebo plus allopurinol in patients with serum urate (UA) levels above a target of <6.0 mg/dl. Methods Patients receiving ≥300 mg of allopurinol (≥200 mg in those with moderate renal impairment) who had serum UA levels ≥6.5 mg/dl at screening and ≥2 gout flares during the previous year were studied. The primary end point was the proportion of patients achieving a serum UA level of <6.0 mg/dl at month 6. Key secondary end points were the mean gout flare rate requiring treatment (months 7–12) and the proportions of patients with complete resolution of ≥1 target tophus (month 12). Safety assessments included adverse events and laboratory data. Results The study patients (n = 603) were predominantly male and had a mean ± SD age of 51.9 ± 11.3 years, a gout duration of 11.8 ± 9.4 years, a baseline serum UA level of 6.94 ± 1.27 mg/dl, and were receiving an allopurinol dosage of 306.6 ± 59.58 mg/day. Lesinurad at doses of 200 mg or 400 mg added to allopurinol therapy significantly increased the proportions of patients who achieved serum UA target levels by month 6 as compared with those receiving allopurinol alone (54.2%, 59.2%, and 27.9%, respectively, P < 0.0001). Lesinurad was not significantly superior to allopurinol alone in terms of the secondary end points: rates of gout flares and complete resolution of tophi. Lesinurad was generally well‐tolerated; the safety profile of the 200‐mg dose was comparable to that of allopurinol alone, except for higher incidences of predominantly reversible elevations of serum creatinine levels. Conclusion Lesinurad added to allopurinol provided benefit as compared with allopurinol alone in reducing serum UA levels and represents a new treatment option for patients needing additional urate‐lowering therapy.

ObjectivesDetermine the efficacy and safety of daily lesinurad (200 or 400 mg orally) added to allopurinol in patients with serum uric acid (sUA) above target in a 12-month, randomised, phase III trial.MethodsPatients on allopurinol ≥300 mg (≥200 mg in moderate renal impairment) had sUA level of ≥6.5 mg/dL (≥387 µmol/L) at screening and two or more gout flares in the prior year. Primary end point was the proportion of patients achieving sUA level of <6.0 mg/dL (<357 µmol/L) (month 6). Key secondary end points were mean gout flare rate requiring treatment (months 7 through 12) and proportions of patients with complete resolution of one or more target tophi (month 12). Safety assessments included adverse events and laboratory data.ResultsPatients (n=610) were predominantly male, with mean (±SD) age 51.2±10.90 years, gout duration 11.5±9.26 years and baseline sUA of 6.9±1.2 mg/dL (410±71 µmol/L). Lesinurad at 200 and 400 mg doses, added to allopurinol, significantly increased proportions of patients achieving sUA target versus allopurinol-alone therapy by month 6 (55.4%, 66.5% and 23.3%, respectively, p<0.0001 both lesinurad+allopurinol groups). In key secondary end points, there were no statistically significant treatment-group differences favouring lesinurad. Lesinurad was generally well tolerated; the 200 mg dose had a safety profile comparable with allopurinol-alone therapy. Renal-related adverse events occurred in 5.9% of lesinurad 200 mg+allopurinol, 15.0% of lesinurad 400 mg+allopurinol and 4.9% of allopurinol-alone groups, with serum creatinine elevation of ≥1.5× baseline in 5.9%, 15.0% and 3.4%, respectively. Serious treatment-emergent adverse events occurred in 4.4% of lesinurad 200 mg+allopurinol, in 9.5% of lesinurad 400 mg+allopurinol and in 3.9% of allopurinol-alone groups, respectively.ConclusionLesinurad added to allopurinol demonstrated superior sUA lowering versus allopurinol-alone therapy and lesinurad 200 mg was generally well tolerated in patients with gout warranting additional therapy.Trial registration numberNCT01493531.

ObjectiveTo investigate the efficacy and safety of lesinurad in combination with febuxostat in a 12‐month phase III trial in patients with tophaceous gout.MethodsPatients with serum urate (UA) ≥8.0 mg/dl (≥6.0 mg/dl with urate‐lowering therapy) and ≥1 measurable target tophus were given febuxostat 80 mg/day for 3 weeks before randomization to receive lesinurad (200 or 400 mg daily) or placebo in addition to the febuxostat. The primary end point was the proportion of patients achieving a serum UA level of <5.0 mg/dl (month 6). The key secondary end point was the proportion of patients with complete resolution of ≥1 target tophus (month 12). Other end points included the percentage change in total target tophi area. Safety assessments included adverse events and laboratory data.ResultsPatients (n = 324) were predominantly male, with a mean age of 54.1 years. Significantly more patients achieved the serum UA target by month 6 with the addition of lesinurad 400 mg (76.1%; P < 0.0001), but not 200 mg (56.6%; P = 0.13), to the febuxostat therapy as compared with febuxostat alone (46.8%). At all other time points, significantly more patients in the lesinurad 200 mg group achieved the serum UA target. The number of patients with complete tophus resolution was not different between groups. Treatment with lesinurad (200 mg and 400 mg) plus febuxostat reduced the total target tophi area as compared with febuxostat alone (50.1% and 52.9% versus 28.3%, respectively; P < 0.05). Safety was generally comparable with that of febuxostat alone, except for higher rates of predominantly reversible elevations in the serum creatinine level, particularly with lesinurad 400 mg.ConclusionTreatment with lesinurad in combination with febuxostat demonstrated superior lowering of serum UA levels as compared with febuxostat alone, with clinically relevant added effects on tophi and an acceptable safety profile with lesinurad 200 mg in patients with tophaceous gout warranting additional therapy.

The importance of sleep to health and cardiovascular disease has become increasingly apparent. Sleep disordered breathing (SDB), sleep duration, and sleep architecture may all influence metabolism and neurohormonal systems, yet no prior study has evaluated these sleep characteristics concurrently in relation to incident hypertension. Our objective was to determine if incident hypertension is associated with polysomnography (PSG) measures of SDB, sleep duration, and sleep architecture in older men. Participants were784 community dwelling, ambulatory men ≥65 years (mean age 75.1±4.9 years) from the Outcomes of Sleep Disorders in Older Men Study (MrOs Sleep Study) who did not have hypertension at the time of their in-home PSG sleep studies (2003-2005); and who returned for follow-up (2007-2009). Of 784 older men included in this report, 243 met criteria for incident hypertension after a mean follow-up of 3.4 years. In unadjusted analyses, incident hypertension was associated with increased hypoxemia, increased sleep stages N1 and N2 and decreased stage N3 (slow wave sleep, SWS). After adjustment for age, non-white race, study site, and body mass index, the only sleep index to remain significantly associated with incident HTN was SWS percent (odds ratio for lowest to highest quartile of SWS: 1.83, 95% CI 1.18, 2.85). No attenuation of this association was seen after accounting for sleep duration, sleep fragmentation and indices of SDB. Percentage time in SWS was inversely associated with incident HTN, independent of sleep duration and fragmentation, and SDB. Selective deprivation of SWS may contribute to adverse blood pressure in older men.