CRP and Hypertension: There were no associations of the presence of axial gout with age (P = 0.145), duration of gout (P = 0.570), serum C-reactive protein (P = 0.944), and uric acid level (P = 0.405), characteristics of axial pain (P = 0.185), identification of MSU crystals in the peripheral joints (P = 0.159), current use of urate-lowering drugs (P = 0.416), the presence of hypertension (P = 0.453), and end-stage renal disease (P =0.284).