Is C-reactive protein an additional, surrogate end-point for statin treatment?

simple approach to lower urate levels with allopurinol, large, simple and relatively affordable clinical trials are feasible. These trials can be facilitated by funding from governments or by ‘factoring’ this in with other interventional trials evaluating new pharmacological agents. In conclusion, the findings by Wong et al. are provocative enough to be explored further in large observational studies, and if their findings are robust, large interventional studies would be required to provide definitive conclusions. Clarification of the role of urate in predicting clinical events and atherosclerosis may be of potential major clinical and public health importance. S. YUSUF J. BOSCH Population Health Research Institute, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada