Study Reports Significant Association Between Gout, All-Cause Mortality

A meta-analysis in Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism investigated the general and specific mortality risks of gout.

“Predicting specific mortality risks related to gout could enable early intervention, preventing such risks and reducing gout-related mortality,” the investigators wrote. They conducted “an observational cohort analysis to investigate the overall and individual mortality risks associated with gout.”

Researchers conducted a search for published cohort studies on gout and mortality. Their search covered articles from the inception of relevant databases to September 2022. The PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases were included. The quality of each study was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Statistical analysis was carried out using STATA software, version 16.0. To assess publication bias, researchers employed funnel plots and the Egger’s test.

The meta-analysis included data from 11 cohort studies conducted between 2010 and 2022, encompassing a substantial sample of 14,854,490 individuals with follow-up times ranging from 1.66 to 16.00 years. The pooled analysis revealed a significant increase in the risk of overall mortality among individuals with gout (hazard ratio [HR], 1.23; 95% CI, 1.13-1.35; P<.001).

Researchers also found that gout was associated with a higher risk of mortality due to specific causes, including cardiovascular disease (HR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.13-1.48), infection (HR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.04-1.47), and diseases of the digestive system (HR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.13-1.80). The presence of gout was associated with significantly higher risks of mortality in all categories.

Sensitivity and subgroup analyses confirmed the robustness of these findings, and no evidence of publication bias was detected through funnel plots or the Egger’s test.

According to the investigators, “This has important implications for clinical practice, nursing care of patients with gout, and guidance on lifestyle modifications to prevent adverse outcomes such as cardiovascular events, infections, and digestive disorders.”