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Seasonality of gout in Korea: a multicenter study
Hyo Jin Choi1, Chan Hee Lee2, Joo Hyun Lee3
1Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Gachon University Gil Hospital, Incheon, Korea.
Insights
Gout attacks in Korea most frequently begin in summer. Gout flares during urate-lowering therapy also show a tendency to increase in summer and fall seasons.
Area of Science:
- Rheumatology
- Epidemiology
- Internal Medicine
Background:
- Gout is a common inflammatory arthritis characterized by hyperuricemia.
- Understanding the seasonal patterns of gout onset and flares is crucial for patient management and public health strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the seasonality of gout onset and flares in a Korean population.
- To identify potential seasonal trends in patients undergoing urate-lowering therapy (ULT).
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of data from 330 patients at nine rheumatology clinics in Korea.
- Collection of demographic, clinical, and laboratory data, including gout onset and flare occurrences.
- Seasonality analysis based on three-month intervals and specific months.
Main Results:
- Gout onset occurred most commonly in summer (36.7%, P<0.001) and June (15.6%, P=0.002).
- During urate-lowering therapy (ULT), gout flares were more frequent in summer (30.6%), though not statistically significant.
- In patients achieving target serum uric acid (<6 mg/dL), flares were higher in fall (35.8%) and September (17.0%).
- Alcohol was the most common aggravating factor for flares (72.0%).
Conclusions:
- Summer is the peak season for gout onset in Korea.
- A trend suggests an increase in gout flares during summer and fall seasons for patients on ULT.
- These findings highlight the importance of considering seasonal variations in gout management.
Abstract:
The object of this study was to evaluate the seasonality of gout in Korea. We retrospectively examined data from 330 patients seen at nine rheumatology clinics, treated with urate lowering therapy (ULT) more than one year after stopping prophylactic medication. Demographic data, clinical and laboratory features, and seasonality of gout onset and flares were collected. Season was classified in three-month intervals. The mean age was 52.2 yr and mean disease duration was 26.8 months. The male to female count was 318:12. The onset of acute gouty attacks was obtained in 256 patients. Gout developed most commonly in summer season (36.7%) (P<0.001) and in June (15.6%, P=0.002). During ULT, there were 147 (male 97.3%) gout flares. Although there was no statistically significant difference, gout flares were more common in summer (30.6%). Aggravating factors were identified in 57 flares: alcohol (72.0%) was most common. In the patients who attained target serum uric acid (<6 mg/dL) at the end of prophylaxis, gout flares were high in fall (35.8%) and September (17.0%). In Korea, the summer is most common season of gout onset and there is a tendency for gout flares to increase during ULT in summer/fall season.
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