The prevalence of gout in three English towns

The prevalence of gout has been measured in three English towns by means of a postal questionnaire. The three towns were selected to give a range of socio-economic conditions. In each town questionnaires were sent to a sample of approximately 5000 men aged 45 to 74 years. The questionnaire elicited a history of gout and a history of an attack of severe pain in the great toe. There was a progressive increase in prevalence of gout from Ipswich, the town with the most favourable socio-economic status, through Wakefield to Preston, the town with the least favourable socio-economic status. Within each town there was no difference between the social class distribution of cases and age-matched controls