Quality of life in patients with gout in South Western Sydney

Background: Gout is the most common type of inflammatory arthritis in men, with an Australian population prevalence of 0.39% (1, 2). Due to ageing and rising obesity, the global burden of gout is increasing. Global disability adjusted life years (DALYs) for gout rose from 76 000 in 1990 to 114 000 in 2010 (2). Patients with severe gout are known to have low health-related quality of life (HRQOL), especially in regards to physical function (3). Objectives: To determine HRQOL in gout patients of South Western Sydney, and the utility of the Gout Impact Scale (GIS). To compare GIS in patients with acute versus non-acute gout, and high frequency of gout attacks versus low frequency of gout attacks. To compare Short Form 36 version 2 (SF36v2) in our gout cohort with normals and other chronic diseases. Methods: Postal cross-sectional survey study of adult patients diagnosed with gout recruited from 3 public hospitals and a private clinic. SPSS software facilitated analysis. Results: 133/184 patients recruited with a 72.3% response rate. The overall impact of gout on their life was 5.9/10, higher in acute gout vs non-acute gout, mean 6.8 vs 5.2, p<0.02. Of patients with gout attack in the last 3 months, the severity of pain was 6.8/10. Patients with more frequent attacks of gout had higher overall severity of gout than those with less frequent attacks, mean 7.5 vs 5.2, p