Update on gout: Pathophysiology and potential treatments

After several decades of senescence, the twin fields of hyperuricemia and gout have again regained attention in both the scientific and clinical spheres, and this review highlights several recent advancements. Specifically, we review newly discovered mechanisms of uric acid-induced inflammation, uric acid’s putative role as a “danger signal” in innate immunity, the possible link between hyperuricemia and cardiovascular disease, and evolutionary evidence suggesting that hyperuricemia conferred a survival advantage in primates (when the gene for uricase was lost) several million years ago. Finally, we provide an overview of the current approach to gout, as well as what treatments are on the horizon.