Objective: To estimate the prevalence of gout and to examine its risk factors among Taiwan's Aborigines compared with non-Aborigines.
Methods: Data were collected from persons older than 40 years living in 3 aboriginal and 2 non-aboriginal districts in Taiwan by a community survey. Cases of gout were identified from self-reporting of a doctor's diagnosis based on clinical criteria. Baseline variables and biochemical data were examined as risk factors for the development of gout.
Results: The prevalence of gout history was found to be 15.2% (25/165) and 4.8% (11/231) among aboriginal men and women, respectively, compared with a prevalence rate of 0.3% among non-Aborigines. A logistic regression model showed that aboriginal men older than 60 years with hyperuricemia were more severely affected by gout than any other group (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: A high prevalence of gout among Taiwanese Aborigines was observed in this study and race was the most significant risk factor associated with the disease.