Researchers from University of Houston in Texas used an online survey to assess the burden of gout flares in a sample of US adults >18 years.
Nearly 1,000 participants met the study criteria for having gout. Those with gout tended to be older (58.3 [SD 13.3] years vs 45.4 [SD 16.1] years; P < 0.001), male (76.3% vs 46.9%; P < 0.001), White (80.5% vs 76.8%; P = 0.01), and married or living with their partner (58.9% vs 52.8%; P < 0.001) compared with those without gout (n = 30,146). The total gout flare burden for those with gout was 6.6 gout flares per year. Nearly 72% of gout flares were either not reported to physicians or pretreated or prevented. Characteristics of those who were less likely to report gout flares included being younger, being less educated, having a lower Charlson Comorbidity Index score, not being diagnosed with gout by their doctor, and not taking a urate-lowering therapy.
Source: Singh JA, Morlock A, Morlock R. Gout flare burden in the United States: a multiyear cross-sectional survey study. ACR Open Rheumatol. 2025;7(1):e11759. doi: 10.1002/acr2.11759.
