Persistent clinical inertia in gout in 2014: An observational French longitudinal patient database study

Abstract

Objective: To describe the characteristics and management of patients with gout in France during the year 2014.

Methods: Data were obtained from a computerized observational longitudinal patient database of a representative sample of 1200 general practitioners. Patients on urate-lowering treatment and/or colchicine were described by demographics and comorbidities, quality of management indicators (serum uric acid and renal function testing) and treatment (type of urate-lowering treatment, change and dose regimen).

Results: We identified 14,400 patients (84.4% men, mean age: 67.5 years) with gout in the database. The most frequent comorbidities were hypertension (70%), dyslipidemia (51%), diabetes (24%) and obesity (23%). The proportion with uric acid and renal function testing data was 32% and 29%, respectively. In gout patients, only 39% had a serum uric acid<6mg/dL. Among treated gout patients, 76% were receiving allopurinol at a mean dose lower than 200mg/d, most without any further change of dose regimen over one year.

Conclusion: These data outlined the persistence of clinical inertia in 2014 for patients with gout.

Keywords: Clinical inertia; Gout; Urate-lowering treatment.