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Occurrence of gout in Copenhagen males aged 40-59
Insights
Men with gout had higher body weight, blood pressure, and lower physical fitness. Gout was also linked to more angina pectoris and higher alcohol and drug use, particularly in lower social classes.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular health
- Rheumatology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Gout is a common inflammatory arthritis.
- Its association with cardiovascular disease risk factors requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between gout and cardiovascular health indicators.
- To identify risk factors associated with gout in middle-aged men.
Main Methods:
- A cardiovascular survey study involving 5249 Copenhagen males aged 40-59.
- Gout cases identified through physician diagnosis; comparison with age-matched controls.
- Physical fitness assessed using a bicycle ergometer test.
Main Results:
- Gout cases (104) exhibited higher relative weight, diastolic blood pressure, and lower physical fitness compared to controls (208).
- Angina pectoris was more frequent in gout cases.
- Higher alcohol and drug consumption were noted in gout cases; gout was most frequent in lower social classes.
Conclusions:
- Gout is associated with adverse cardiovascular risk factors including obesity, hypertension, and reduced physical fitness.
- Gout may be an indicator of increased cardiovascular risk, warranting further research.
- Lifestyle factors like alcohol and drug consumption are higher in individuals with gout.
Abstract:
As part of a cardiovascular survey study on the relationships between physical fitness and coronary heart disease, 5249 Copenhagen males aged between 40 and 59 were interviewed to identify a history of gout. Subjects who had experienced attacks of painful swelling, with abrupt onset and remission in one to two weeks, diagnosed and treated as gout by their own physician, were regarded as having experienced gout. In an initial cross-sectional examination, 86 men fulfilled the criteria. At a one year follow-up examination it was discovered that 56 men had had gout during the year of observation. Among these 18 were new cases. At the end of the study a total of 104 men had experienced gout and these were compared, with respect to the continuously distributed variables, those 104 gout subjects were compared to 208 computer selected age-matched controls drawn at random from the entire sample. The gout cases were found to have higher relative weights, higher diastolic blood pressure and lower levels of physical fitness estimated by use of a bicycle ergometer test. Angina pectoris occurred more frequently among the gout cases than among controls. No significant differences in the occurrence of myocardial infarction, intermittent claudication or renal stones were found. The habits of smoking and coffee consumption were equal in gout cases and controls. Alcohol consumption and consumption of drugs were higher in gout cases than controls. Gout was the most frequent in the lowest social classes.