Comorbidity clusters in people with gout

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Created On: 18/01/2020

Comorbidity clusters in people with gout

The cross-sectional study was carried out to determine how comorbid conditions accumulate among gout patients in primary care population of UK.

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Key take away

Gout, a disease cause severe arthritic pain and is linked with the high rate of comorbidities which complicate its management. Various conditions like cardiovascular and renal occurred most frequently among gout patients, but there are more as well. The study involves the identification of comorbid conditions cluster that affects the gout treatment and process of recovery.

Background

The cross-sectional study was carried out to determine how comorbid conditions accumulate among gout patients in primary care population of UK.

Method

For analysis, gout patients of age 18 years or more were selected from a primary-care-based prospective observational cohort. Different clusters of comorbidity variables; chronic kidney disease (CKD), heart failure, cancer or heart disease was calculated by using factor analysis. The homogenous subgroups of patients based on combinations of their comorbidities identified by performing hierarchical cluster analysis of patient observations.

Result

A total of 1079 participants exhibited overall four distinct comorbidity clusters (C1–C4). Out of these four clusters, cluster 1 was the earliest and had most repeated attacks of gout with CDK among 97% of the population. Cluster 2 patients presented with isolated gout with little comorbidities but had more cases of drinking alcohol. Cluster 3 patients presented with higher rates of CKD, diabetes mellitus, hypertension and hyperlipidaemia as compared to any other cluster. Cluster 3 patients were more likely to be obese than any cluster and presented with hypertension.

Conclusion

The study identified four different comorbidity clusters. People prone to multiple comorbidities obtained allopurinol. Cluster and comorbidities should be taken into account at the time of treatment modifications.