Obesity, Weight Change, Hypertension, Diuretic Use, and Risk of Gout in Men

Abstract

Gout is the most common inflammatory arthritis in adult men, affecting up to 3.4 million men in the United States.^1,2 Although several prospective cohort studies have evaluated the association between obesity and gout,^1,3-5 lack of data and a small number of gout cases have limited the comprehensive adjustment of relevant covariates. Specifically, no prospective information is available on the risk of gout associated with obesity after adjusting for dietary factors, which themselves may be risk factors for gout and vary with adiposity. Furthermore, most studies have analyzed the impact on the risk of gout of a single measurement of adiposity variables and hence have not assessed the importance of updating these variables over time.