Final answer:
In addition to allopurinol therapy for gout prevention, the patient should make lifestyle and dietary adjustments including staying hydrated, consuming a low protein, nitrogen, and sodium diet, avoiding oxalate-rich foods and foods high in purines to help manage uric acid levels.
Step-by-step explanation:
For a 62-year-old male patient who has had acute gout that resolved in the hospital and is beginning preventive therapy with allopurinol, an appropriate additional intervention would be to make dietary changes to help reduce uric acid levels. These lifestyle modifications include:
- Drinking enough water to produce 2 to 2.5 liters of urine per day, which aids in flushing out excess uric acid.
- Maintaining a diet low in protein, nitrogen, and sodium intake to reduce the excretory load on the kidneys.
- Restricting intake of oxalate-rich foods such as chocolate, nuts, soybeans, rhubarb, and spinach while ensuring an adequate intake of dietary calcium.
- Avoiding foods and beverages high in purine-like compounds, such as tea, coffee, and chocolate, to prevent the accumulation of uric acid crystals in the joints.
These lifestyle and dietary adjustments complement the pharmacologic action of allopurinol, which works by competitively inhibiting xanthine oxidase and decreasing the production of uric acid.