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Gout as a risk factor for myocardial infarction and stroke in England: evidence from record linkage studies

Olena O Seminog1, Michael J Goldacre

  • 1Unit of Health-Care Epidemiology, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, Oxford OX3 7LF, UK. michael.goldacre@dph.ox.ac.uk.

Rheumatology (Oxford, England)
|September 19, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Gout increases the risk of heart attack (myocardial infarction) and stroke. This risk is higher in younger individuals and women, highlighting the need for proactive cardiovascular care in gout patients.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular epidemiology
  • Rheumatology
  • Public health

Background:

  • Gout is increasingly recognized as a potential risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
  • Existing research shows a stronger association between gout and myocardial infarction (MI) compared to stroke.
  • Limited data exists on age and sex-specific risks of cardiovascular events following gout.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the risk of myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke in individuals with gout.
  • To analyze stroke subtypes, age-specific risks, and sex differences in cardiovascular event occurrence post-gout diagnosis.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized linked national hospital admission and death records from England (1999-2011) and the Oxford Record Linkage Study (1963-1998).
  • Compared the incidence of MI and stroke in gout patient cohorts against control cohorts.
  • Calculated rate ratios (RRs) to quantify the association between gout and cardiovascular events.

Main Results:

  • Both datasets showed an elevated and similar risk of MI and stroke in individuals with gout.
  • In the England dataset (202,033 gout patients), the RR for MI was 1.82, all stroke 1.71, ischemic stroke 1.68, and hemorrhagic stroke 1.69.
  • The association between gout and cardiovascular events was stronger in younger age groups and, among the young, stronger in women than men.

Conclusions:

  • Gout is significantly associated with an increased risk of both myocardial infarction and stroke.
  • These findings underscore the importance of considering gout as a cardiovascular risk factor in clinical practice.
  • Implications for preventive management strategies for circulatory diseases in gout patients are suggested.
Abstract

Keywords:
MIacute strokegoutrecord linkagerisk factors

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