Patients with obstructive sleep apnea more likely to have gout, study finds

Australia: Researchers have found in a new study that gout is more prevalent in patients with either diagnosed or suspected obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Also, gout patients are more likely to report suffering from insomnia, restless leg syndrome, and worry about their sleep. 

The study has been published in the journal BMC Rheumatology.

Gout is the most common prevalent inflammatory arthropathy and is the most common form of inflammatory arthritis in men. It is associated with co-morbidities including cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome. Obstructive sleep apnoea, which is also associated with cardiovascular morbidity, is also very common. 

Against the above background Julia New-Tolley, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woodville, SA, Australia, and colleagues aimed to determine if there is an association between gout and OSA in a representative Australian adult population. And they also explored associations between gout and patient-reported sleep outcomes.

The study was designed as a cross-sectional national online survey of a representative sample of Australian adults > 18 years assessed self-reported doctor-diagnosed OSA, insomnia, and patient-reported sleep outcomes. Possible undiagnosed OSA was estimated using self-reported frequent loud snoring and witnessed apnoeas. Participants self-reported physician-diagnosed gout and other health conditions. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed for both objectives. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were reported.