Compositions and methods for treatment and prevention of hyperuricemia related health consequences

Abstract

Disclosed herein are methods of delaying the onset or treating diabetes that comprises administering a uric acid lowering agent. The inventors have made the remarkable discovery that elevated uric acid levels are not a corollary to insulin resistance, but rather a primary mediator of insulin resistance. Specifically exemplified are methods that involve administering to a patient susceptible to development of diabetes a composition comprising a uric acid lowering agent in a regimen that maintains serum uric acid levels below at least 5.5 mg/dl, or below at least 5.2 mg/dl.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . A combination therapy comprising the administration concomitantly, simultaneously or sequentially, of therapeutically effective amounts of a combination of UALA and antioxidant. 
     
     
         18 . The combination therapy of the  claim 17 , wherein UALA is administered according to a dosage to lower a patient's average serum uric acid level below 5.5 mg/dl. 
     
     
         19 . The combination therapy of  claim 17  wherein UALA is administered according to a regimen effective to maintain said patient's average serum uric acid level between about 4.0 mg/dl and 5.5 mg/dl for at least 2 weeks. 
     
     
         20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . A method of reducing the risk of developing hyperuricemia-induced health consequences in a patient experiencing asymptomatic hyperuricemia with a uric acid level higher than 5.5 mg/dl, said method comprising administering to said patient a therapeutically effective amount of a composition comprising UALA according to a regimen effective to maintain said patient's average serum uric acid level at or below 5.5 mg/dl, wherein said hyperuricemia-induced health consequences are insulin resistance, obesity, hypertriglyceridemia, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, metabolic syndrome or diabetic nephropathy. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said administering occurs according to a regimen effective to maintain said patient's average serum uric acid level between about 4.0 mg/dl and 5.5 mg/dl for at least 52 weeks. 
     
     
         27 . (canceled) 
     
     
         28 . A method of treating hyperuricemia-induced diabetic nephropathy of a patient with diabetes and a uric acid level higher than 5.5 mg/dl, said method comprising administering to said patient a therapeutically effective amount of a composition comprising UALA according to a regimen effective to maintain said patient's average serum uric acid level below 5.5 mg/dl. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein said UALA is allopurinol or febuxostat, or both.