Aims

To support the free and open dissemination of research findings and information on alcoholism and alcohol-related problems. To encourage open access to peer-reviewed articles free for all to view.

For full versions of posted research articles readers are encouraged to email requests for "electronic reprints" (text file, PDF files, FAX copies) to the corresponding or lead author, who is highlighted in the posting.

___________________________________________

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Epidemiology of gout in women: Fifty-two-year followup of a prospective cohort


Despite the recent doubling of the incidence of gout among women and its substantial prevalence particularly in the aging female population, the risk factors for gout among women remain unknown.

We undertook this study to evaluate purported risk factors for incident gout among women and to compare them with those among men.

Multivariate relative risks conferred by increasing age (per 5 years), obesity (body mass index 30 kg/m2), alcohol intake (7 ounces of pure alcohol/week), hypertension, and diuretic use were 1.24, 2.74, 3.10, 1.82, and 2.39, respectively.

These prospective data with long-term followup provide evidence that higher levels of serum uric acid increase the risk of gout in a graded manner among women, but the rate of increase is lower than that among men. Increasing age, obesity, alcohol consumption, hypertension, and diuretic use were associated with the risk of incident gout among women.

Read Full Abstract

Request Reprint E-Mail: hchoius@bu.edu
____________________________________________