INTRODUCTION: Many doctors believe that patients with gout are unwilling to receive urate-lowering therapy (ULT) and blame them for poor adherence to management. OBJECTIVE: To test the effectiveness of a complex intervention for gout that incorporates key elements of current guidelines, including full patient information, delivered in an optimal setting (specialist hospital clinic). METHOD: Observational study of patients reporting ongoing attacks of gout recruited from primary care lists. 106 participants (94 men, 12 women; mean age 61 years) were enrolled in the study. Patients received a predominantly nurse-delivered intervention that included education, individualised lifestyle advice and appropriate ULT. The predefined goal was to achieve serum uric acid (SUA) levels≤360 μmol/l after 1 year in at least 70% of participants. RESULTS: Of the 106 participants at baseline, 16% had tophi; mean (SD) baseline SUA was 456 (98) µmol/l. All participants agreed to joint aspiration to confirm gout and all wished to receive ULT. At 12 months, 92% of the 106 participants had achieved the therapeutic target (SUA≤360 µmol); 85% had SUA<300 µmol/l. Allopurinol was the most commonly used ULT, requiring a median dose of 400 mg daily to achieve the target. Improvements in Short Form-36 were observed (significant for pain) after 1 year. CONCLUSION: A predominantly nurse-led intervention including education, lifestyle advice and ULT can successfully achieve the recommended treatment target in more than 9 out of 10 patients. Full explanation and discussion about the nature of gout and its treatment options and individualisation of management probably account for this success.
INTRODUCTION: Many doctors believe that patients with gout are unwilling to receive urate-lowering therapy (ULT) and blame them for poor adherence to management. OBJECTIVE: To test the effectiveness of a complex intervention for gout that incorporates key elements of current guidelines, including full patient information, delivered in an optimal setting (specialist hospital clinic). METHOD: Observational study of patients reporting ongoing attacks of gout recruited from primary care lists. 106 participants (94 men, 12 women; mean age 61 years) were enrolled in the study. Patients received a predominantly nurse-delivered intervention that included education, individualised lifestyle advice and appropriate ULT. The predefined goal was to achieve serum uric acid (SUA) levels≤360 μmol/l after 1 year in at least 70% of participants. RESULTS: Of the 106 participants at baseline, 16% had tophi; mean (SD) baseline SUA was 456 (98) µmol/l. All participants agreed to joint aspiration to confirm gout and all wished to receive ULT. At 12 months, 92% of the 106 participants had achieved the therapeutic target (SUA≤360 µmol); 85% had SUA<300 µmol/l. Allopurinol was the most commonly used ULT, requiring a median dose of 400 mg daily to achieve the target. Improvements in Short Form-36 were observed (significant for pain) after 1 year. CONCLUSION: A predominantly nurse-led intervention including education, lifestyle advice and ULT can successfully achieve the recommended treatment target in more than 9 out of 10 patients. Full explanation and discussion about the nature of gout and its treatment options and individualisation of management probably account for this success.
Authors: Eric Jutkowitz; Fernando Alarid-Escudero; Hyon K Choi; Karen M Kuntz; Hawre Jalal Journal: Pharmacoeconomics Date: 2017-10 Impact factor: 4.981
Authors: Ted R Mikuls; T Craig Cheetham; Gerald D Levy; Nazia Rashid; Artak Kerimian; Kimberly J Low; Brian W Coburn; David T Redden; Kenneth G Saag; P Jeffrey Foster; Lang Chen; Jeffrey R Curtis Journal: Am J Med Date: 2018-11-29 Impact factor: 4.965
Authors: Brian W Coburn; T Craig Cheetham; Nazia Rashid; John M Chang; Gerald D Levy; Artak Kerimian; Kimberly J Low; David T Redden; S Louis Bridges; Kenneth G Saag; Jeffrey R Curtis; Ted R Mikuls Journal: Contemp Clin Trials Date: 2016-07-20 Impact factor: 2.226