Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2019 Jun;71(6):991-999.
doi: 10.1002/art.40807. Epub 2019 Apr 15.

Contemporary Prevalence of Gout and Hyperuricemia in the United States and Decadal Trends: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2007-2016

Michael Chen-Xu  1 , Chio Yokose  2 , Sharan K Rai  2 , Michael H Pillinger  3 , Hyon K Choi  2
Affiliations

Contemporary Prevalence of Gout and Hyperuricemia in the United States and Decadal Trends: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2007-2016

Michael Chen-Xu et al. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2019 Jun.

Abstract

Objective: To estimate the current prevalence rates and decadal trends of gout and hyperuricemia in the US, as well as the prevalence of urate-lowering therapy (ULT) among gout patients, using 2007-2016 data from a nationally representative survey of American men and women (the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey [NHANES]).

Methods: Using data from 5,467 participants in the NHANES 2015-2016, we estimated the most recent prevalence rates of gout and hyperuricemia. When the NHANES was conducted, all participants were asked about their history of gout (as diagnosed by a health professional) and medication use. Hyperuricemia was defined as having a serum urate level of >7.0 mg/dl in men and >5.7 mg/dl in women. We examined decadal trends in these estimates using data from the NHANES 2007-2016 and investigated ULT usage trends using the NHANES 2007-14 (the most recent data available to date).

Results: In 2015-2016, the prevalence of gout was 3.9% among adults in the US (9.2 million people), with 5.2% [5.9 million] in men and 2.7% [3.3 million] in women. Mean serum urate levels were 6.0 mg/dl in men and 4.8 mg/dl in women, and hyperuricemia prevalence rates were 20.2% and 20.0%, respectively. The prevalence rates of gout and hyperuricemia remained stable between 2007 and 2016 (P for trend > 0.05). The prevalence of ULT use among patients with gout was 33% in 2007-2014 and remained stable over time (P for trend > 0.05).

Conclusion: In this nationally representative survey sample of adults in the US, the prevalence rates of gout and hyperuricemia remained substantial, albeit unchanged, between 2007 and 2016. Despite these rates, only one-third of gout patients were receiving ULT.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Singh JA. Quality of life and quality of care for patients with gout. Curr Rheumatol Rep. 2009. April;11(2):154–60. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Burke BT, Köttgen A, Law A, Windham BG, Segev D, Baer AN, et al. Physical Function, Hyperuricemia, and Gout in Older Adults. Arthritis Care Res. 2015. December;67(12):1730–8. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Rai SK, Burns LC, De Vera MA, Haji A, Giustini D, Choi HK. The economic burden of gout: A systematic review. Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2015. August;45(1):75–80. - PubMed
    1. Choi HK, Ford ES. Prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in individuals with hyperuricemia. Am J Med. 2007. May;120(5):442–7. - PubMed
    1. Choi HK, Curhan G. Independent impact of gout on mortality and risk for coronary heart disease. Circulation. 2007. August 21;116(8):894–900. - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms