Screening for hyperuricaemia and gout: a perspective and research agenda

The goal of a screening programme is to reduce an adverse health outcome in a defined population. Screening can be undertaken at several stages throughout the disease course: before the onset of disease, early in the course of the disease, or in established disease (for complications). In the setting of asymptomatic hyperuricaemia and gout, the aim of screening would be to identify those individuals with hyperuricaemia and therefore at risk of gout, with the aim of introducing interventions to prevent the onset of gout. Herein we consider the concepts of screening for hyperuricaemia and gout, potential screening methods, and target populations that might benefit from such an approach.