Quercetin lowers plasma uric acid in pre-hyperuricaemic males: a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial

Study answer

What this study found

Quercetin lowered plasma uric acid after 4 weeks and was well tolerated. In the quercetin period, plasma uric acid fell from 330 (56) µmol/l at baseline to 304 (48) µmol/l at 4 weeks, with a mean change of -26•5 (95% CI -7•6, -45•5; P = 0•008); the 2-week change was -15•9 (95% CI 0•9, -32•8; P = 0•06). Placebo did not produce a significant change: 315 (45) to 320 (47) µmol/l at 4 weeks (P = 0•60). Quercetin did not significantly affect fasting glucose, 24-hour urinary uric acid excretion, or systolic blood pressure, and no adverse events were reported.

Study & population

For the quercetin arm, 22 healthy adult men were studied in a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial.

Intervention

Quercetin was given orally as quercetin dihydrate tablets at 500 mg daily for 4 weeks.

Key limitation

The trial was small and included only healthy men, limiting generalizability to women, patients with gout, or broader clinical populations.

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Original abstract