The effect of allopurinol on serum uric acid levels in patients with diabetic nephropathy; a systematic review and meta-analysis on randomized clinical trials

Abstract

Introduction: The correlation between hyperuricemia and chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an approval issue; this study aimed to evaluate the effect of allopurinol on serum uric acid levels in patients with diabetic nephropathy, with the review of randomized clinical trials (RCTs). Materials and Methods: This meta-analysis study was conducted on RCTs in diabetic nephropathy patients, which evaluated the effect of allopurinol on serum uric acid levels. Data were collected by searching international databases and Google Scholar search engines until May 2023. STATA 14 software and the random effects model were conducted to analyze the data. A P value less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results: In this study, five studies with a sample size of 942 patients were assessed. The effect of allopurinol on serum uric acid in comparison to the placebo group deduced that the standard mean difference between the allopurinol group and placebo group was -1.55 mg/dL, which was statistically significant (CI: -2.07 to -1.02). Conclusion: Allopurinol through its uric acid lowering effect would be beneficial for patients with diabetic nephropathy in preventing the progression of CKD. Registration: This study has been compiled based on the PRISMA checklist, and its protocol was registered on the PROSPERO website (ID: CRD42023412051).