United States leads world in increased prevalence of gout
Investigators have examined trends in the prevalence and incidence of gout across the world, according to a study published in Scientific Reports.
A disease’s incidence is defined as the number of new cases, whereas its prevalence is defined as the proportion of a population who develop the disease.
In the study, the investigators used data from the Global Burden of Disease Study to analyze the prevalence, incidence and disability-adjusted life-years of gout between 1990 and 2019. They focused specifically on the European Union 15+ countries — including the United States, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Australia, Canada, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and Norway.
The global prevalence of gout increased by about 21% among male and female patients and the global incidence increased by about 17% and 19% among male and female patients, respectively. The global disability-adjusted life-years rose by about 21% among male and female patients.
However, the United States had the greatest increases in gout prevalence and incidence. Among U.S. male patients, the condition’s prevalence and incidence increased by approximately 91% and 64%, respectively; whereas among female patients the prevalence and incidence increased by 47% and 39%. Disability-adjusted life-years increased by about 90% among male patients and 43% among female patients.
Because of the concerning findings, the investigators called for improved health policies and resource allocation to better boost awareness of gout and lead to more effective risk factor modification.
Read more: Scientific Reports
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