Question:

Allopurinol is used in the treatment of:

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Which listed disease is caused by high uric acid?
Updated On: Jun 24, 2026
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Gout
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Ankylosing spondylitis
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The Correct Option is B

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Mechanism of allopurinol.
Allopurinol inhibits xanthine oxidase, the enzyme that converts hypoxanthine to xanthine and xanthine to uric acid. Blocking it lowers serum uric acid.

Step 2: Match mechanism to disease.
Gout is caused by deposition of monosodium urate crystals due to hyperuricemia. Lowering uric acid prevents new crystal formation, so allopurinol is a urate-lowering drug used for chronic gout and to prevent recurrent attacks.

Step 3: Rule out the other options.
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease treated with analgesics, not urate-lowering drugs.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease treated with DMARDs such as methotrexate.
Ankylosing spondylitis is a seronegative spondyloarthropathy treated with NSAIDs and biologics.
None of these involve uric acid, so allopurinol has no role in them.

Step 4: Conclusion.
Allopurinol is used in gout, option B.
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