A new study suggests that a common medication prescribed for gout (the most common type of arthritis) may reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke if taken at the right dose.

This type of arthritis is caused by the buildup of uric acid crystals in the joints, which can cause sudden and severe joint pain.

Medications such as allopurinol (when taken in the right doses) can lower uric acid levels and dissolve the crystals.

Patients are usually told to keep their blood uric acid levels below 360 micromoles per liter.

Gout has been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart attack and stroke, according to a new study.

The study looked at 19,504 people with gout and high uric acid levels. All of the patients were 18 years of age or older.

The people were divided into two groups, and one group was given uric acid-lowering drugs, the most common of which was allopurinol.

The researchers looked at whether people had heart attacks, strokes or heart-related deaths within five years of their first prescription.

The study found that people who took the drugs had a lower risk of heart disease over five years than those in the other group, while they also had fewer gout attacks.

These risks were further reduced in patients whose uric acid levels had dropped below 300 micromoles per liter.

The study was published in JAMA Internal Medicine.