[Hyperuricemia. When and how to treat?].

The prevalence of (asymptomatic) hyperuricemia and gout has substantially increased in recent decades. This development is due to fundamental lifestyle changes, dramatically rising prevalence of obesity and metabolic syndrome, as well as the increasing age of patients. Therefore, medical treatment of hyperuricemia has regained interest in recent years, in particular since after decades of therapeutic stagnation, new treatments of hyperuricemia have been approved or are currently being investigated in clinical trials. European and American guidelines/recommendations for treatment of hyperuricemia and gout have been updated and revised. Furthermore, the role of asymptomatic hyperuricemia as an (independent) cardiovascular risk factor is again under debate. This article provides assistance in integrating our present knowledge in a therapeutic context and summarizes currently recommended treatment strategies.