Comparison of major societies’ gout guidelines

Guideline2020 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) [9]2016 European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) [10]2016 American College of Physicians (ACP) [11]
Discordant recommendations
ULT initiation (in patients with ≥ 2 flares/year)Start ULTStart ULTConsider ULT
Target SU levelTarget < 6 mg/dLTarget < 6 mg/dL, or lessNo specific target; treat to manage symptoms
ULT titrationTitrate to target SU levelTitrate to target SU levelTitrate based on patient symptoms and side effects
First-line ULTAllopurinol (start at ≤ 100 mg/day and titrate up)Allopurinol (start at ≤ 100 mg/day and titrate up)Allopurinol or febuxostat
Anti-inflammatory prophylaxis (during ULT initiation)Low-dose colchicine, NSAIDs, or low-dose corticosteroids (3–6 months)Low-dose colchicine or NSAIDs (6 months)Low-dose colchicine or NSAIDs (> 8 weeks)
Concordant recommendations
Gout flare managementNSAIDs, colchicine, or corticosteroidsNSAIDs, colchicine, corticosteroids, or intra-articular steroidsNSAIDs, colchicine, or corticosteroids
Patient educationEmphasize lifestyle modifications, including dietary changes and weight lossEmphasize lifestyle modifications, including dietary changes and weight lossEmphasize lifestyle modifications, including dietary changes and weight loss
Lifestyle modificationsRecommend weight loss, reduced alcohol intake, and dietary changesRecommend weight loss, reduced alcohol intake, and dietary changesRecommend weight loss, reduced alcohol intake, and dietary changes

NSAIDs: non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; SU: serum urate; ULT: urate lowering therapy