30 Aug People With Sleep Apnea At Increased Risk of Gout
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr. Blagojevic-Bucknal
Dr M Blagojevic-Bucknal
Senior Lecturer in Statistics Arthritis Research UK Primary Care Centre
Research Institute for Primary Care & Health Sciences
Keele University Staffordshire UK
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Evidence suggests that elevated serum uric acid levels, the cause of gout, are also frequently identified in patients with sleep apnoea However, despite prevalent hyperuricaemia in patients with sleep apnoea, shared risk factors with gout of obesity and alcohol consumption, and research identifying the associations between gout and other co-morbidities, few studies have considered the possibility of an association between sleep apnoea and gout in short and long term.
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings?
Response: People with sleep apnoea are at increased risk of developing gout. In our study, the risk of gout was greatest between one and two years after the diagnosis of sleep apnoea, but people remained at increased risk for as long as ten years after diagnosis. Increased risk of gout was seen in people with sleep apnoea who were of normal body mass index as well as those who were overweight or obese and, surprisingly, the risk was greatest in those with a normal body mass index.
MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?
Response: People with sleep apnoea are at an increased risk of gout in both the short and long term. Since this risk was highest in people with normal body mass index, doctors and other health professionals should consider the possibility of gout in patents with sleep apnoea regardless of body mass index.
MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this work?
Response: Sleep apnoea is commonly treated with continuous positive airways pressure (CPAP) therapy. Since CPAP treatment corrects low oxygen levels it might also be expected to reduce uric acid levels which could possibly reduce the risk of developing gout or treat existing gout. However, further research is needed to investigate the effect of treatment with CPAP in people with gout.
No disclosures
Citation:
Blagojevic‐Bucknall, M. , Mallen, C. , Muller, S. , Hayward, R. , West, S. , Choi, H. and Roddy, E. (2018), The risk of gout among patients with sleep apnea: a matched cohort study. Arthritis Rheumatol. Accepted Author Manuscript. . doi:10.1002/art.40662
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Last Updated on August 30, 2018 by Marie Benz MD FAAD