Comparison of New‐Onset Gout in Adults Prescribed Chlorthalidone vs Hydrochlorothiazide for Hypertension

This study assessed the risk of new‐onset gout following prescribing of hydrochlorothiazide ( HCTZ ) compared with chlorthalidone ( CTD ). This retrospective cohort analysis used administrative claims from 2000 to 2012 to identify patients aged 18 to 89 years with hypertension who were prescribed CTD or HCTZ . Patients were excluded if they had a prior diagnosis of gout, conditions or prescription claims for medications that alter risk of gout, or if they switched between these two diuretics. A total of 1011 patients prescribed CTD were matched with 2022 patients prescribed HCTZ based on age, sex, and Chronic Condition Indicator. New‐onset gout occurred in 17 of 1011 (1.68%) patients in the CTD group and in 26 of 2022 (1.29%) patients in the HCTZ group ( P =.27). The number of days to first occurrence of gout was 183.6 days and 152.7 days in the CTD and HCTZ groups, respectively ( P =.39). The mean daily dose was 22.7 mg for CTD and 24.3 mg for HCTZ , and the median dose of both CTD and HCTZ was 25 mg at the time of new‐onset gout. Patients prescribed CTD for hypertension have a similar risk of developing new‐onset gout compared with patients prescribed similar doses of HCTZ .