TY - JOUR T1 - Gout and Quality of Life JF - The Journal of Rheumatology JO - J Rheumatol SP - 865 LP - 868 DO - 10.3899/jrheum.090034 VL - 36 IS - 5 AU - SEO YOUNG KIM AU - HYON K. CHOI Y1 - 2009/05/01 UR - http://www.jrheum.org/content/36/5/865.abstract N2 - Gout is a common inflammatory arthritis triggered by the crystallization of uric acid within the joints1. Gout causes severe pain and suffering and is a substantial cause of morbidity. Further, emerging evidence suggests that gout is strongly associated with the metabolic syndrome2 and may lead to myocardial infarction3–5, diabetes6, and premature death7,8. A number of epidemiological studies from a diverse range of countries suggest that gout has increased in prevalence and incidence in the past few decades. Using the NHANES III age/sex prevalence and the corresponding 2005 population estimates from the US Census Bureau, it is estimated that up to 6.1 million adults aged ≥ 20 years have ever had gout9. Consequently, gout has a significant economic impact in society due to both direct medical costs and indirect costs9–12.A substantial proportion of gout patients under the care of physicians fail to achieve adequate control of hyperuricemia or symptoms13. Recent studies indicate that the majority of gout patients under the care of physicians are not adequately managed with currently available anti-gout therapies13–17. These gout cases have been referred to as “treatment-failure gout” and have become the primary target for quality improvement of care, including new drug development13,18–23. Although recent treatment guidelines and increased educational efforts could improve the quality of gout care, even under the very best of conditions, between 100,000 and 300,000 in … Address reprint request to Dr. Choi. E-mail: dr.choi{at}yahoo.com Dr. Kim is supported by NIH T32 (AR07442) Training Program in Rheumatic Disease; Dr. Choi served on the advisory board for Takeda and Savient Pharmaceuticals. ER -