Gout patients at greater risk of stroke, ischemic heart disease and heart failure
Gout, a metabolic disorder, is characterized by joint inflammation and high uric acid levels. The accumulation of monosodium urate crystals in the joints is associated with comorbidities like obesity, insulin resistance, high blood pressure, kidney problems, and hyperlipidemia. According to a recent Korean study, gout patients aged≥ 60 years are more likely to have a stroke, ischemic heart disease, or heart failure.
This study, “An elevated likelihood of stroke, ischemic heart disease, or heart failure in individuals with gout: a longitudinal follow-up study utilizing the National Health Information database in Korea”, by Kang et al., is published in Frontiers in Endocrinology.
Previous study evidence has indicated strong associations between gout and cardiovascular diseases. Still, the associations of gout with cardiovascular diseases (stroke, ischemic heart disease, and heart failure) remain ambiguous in the Korean population.
In the present study, researchers hypothesized that those with a history of gout are more likely to have stroke, ischemic heart disease, or heart failure over the 16 years of observation.
Twenty-two thousand four hundred eighty patients with gout were included in the study, and 22,480 were control individuals. These patients were selected from the Korean National Health Insurance Service-Health Screening Cohort database.
The key points of the study are:
- Those with a history of gout had a higher incidence of stroke, ischemic heart disease, or heart failure compared to controls (stroke: 9.84 vs 8.41 per 1000 person-years; ischemic heart disease: 9.77 vs. 7.15 per 1000 person-years; heart failure: 2.47 vs 1.46 per 1000 person-years).
- Compared to the control group, the gout group had an 11%, 28% or 64% higher likelihood of experiencing stroke, ischemic heart disease, or heart failure, respectively.
They said, “In our study, we found an increased incidence of cardiovascular conditions in gout patients.”
The limitations of the study include Korean participants only, lack of data on family history, personal genetics, or diets, and non-consideration of Creatinine, glomerular filtration rate, or urate-lowering therapies or diuretics.
Those diagnosed with gout should receive additional information and training regarding the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
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