Is the Month After Initial Gout Diagnosis a Critical Time for Cardiovascular Risk?
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In the 30 days following an initial diagnosis of gout, patients may experience a short-term increased risk of cardiovascular events, according to a recent publication in Arthritis and Rheumatology.1
Researchers in the United Kingdom conducted a self-controlled case series analysis and cohort study using the UK Clinical Practice Research Database. This provided primary care, hospital, and mortality records for individuals with newly diagnosed gout over a 23-year period.1 They specifically focused on the initial encounter that included the first diagnosis of gout. The authors then looked at subsequent cardiovascular events, including multiple types of myocardial infarction and strokes.1 Within 2 years of the gout diagnosis, 4,398 patients in that database experienced a cardiovascular event. These patients had a mean age of 74.6 years and were 66.9% male. The cohort study included a total of 76,440 patients (mean age 63.2 years, 72.9% males).1
Of note, the incidence of the cardiovascular events was higher within the first 30 days of gout diagnosis, with 31.2 events per 1,000 person-years. From days 31–730, this yielded 21.6 events per 1,000 person-years.1 Knowledge of this data could assist clinicians in educating patients on cardiovascular risk and provide a touchpoint to encourage multidisciplinary preventative care.
Reference
1. Cipolletta E, Nakafero G, Richette P, et al. Short-term risk of cardiovascular events in people newly diagnosed with gout. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2024. doi: 10.1002/art.42986. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39279144.