Obstructive Sleep Apnea Linked With Higher Gout Risk
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People with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may have a higher risk of developing gout, according to a study published online August 30 in Arthritis and Rheumatology. As part of a retrospective cohort study, researchers in the United Kingdom evaluated primary care data from adult patients (age ≥ 18 years) diagnosed with OSA between 1990 and 2010 (n = 15,879). For the comparison group, the researchers matched each patient with OSA with up to four individuals without OSA (n = 63,296) on the basis of age, sex, and general practice. They then evaluated the risk for incident gout in both groups at different time points and across various body mass index (BMI) categories.
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@ashmita Despite previous research linking a higher risk for gout in the first year after a diagnosis of OSA, the authors of the current study found the highest risk for gout 1 to 2 years after OSA diagnosis regardless of BMI. Specifically, among patients with OSA in the normal BMI category (BMI < 25), the highest risk for incident gout was 2 to 5 years after OSA diagnosis and was more than twice the risk when compared with that in people without OSA (HR, 2.02; 95% CI, 1.13 - 3.62).