Allopurinol is primarily used to treat which condition?

• A. Antigout, chronic
• B. Hypertension
• C. Diabetes mellitus
• D. Bacterial infections

Answer: (A)

Allopurinol works by lowering uric acid production. It inhibits xanthine oxidase, the enzyme that converts hypoxanthine and xanthine into uric acid. By reducing uric acid formation, serum urate levels fall, which helps prevent urate crystal deposition in joints and tissues. This makes it a standard long-term therapy for antigout and chronic hyperuricemia, helping to prevent recurrent gout attacks and uric acid–related kidney problems. It’s not used for hypertension, diabetes, or infections, since those conditions are not driven by uric acid production and require different treatments.