The Study
Failure to reach uric acid target of <0.36 mmol/L in hyperuricaemia of gout is associated with elevated total and cardiovascular mortality
This study watched a group of people with gout for many years and noticed that those whose uric acid stayed high were more likely to die. But it didn’t make anyone change their uric acid — it just watched what happened. So we can’t say for sure that lowering uric acid will save lives — only that it’s linked to living longer.
Analysis score
Maximum 72 for a cohort study.
Where the score came from
People with gout who keep their blood uric acid below a certain level (0.36 mmol/L) are much less likely to die from heart problems or other causes.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 572 / 100
Quality score
Groups of people are followed over time to see who develops an outcome. Strong for identifying risk factors and associations, but cannot prove causation as firmly as RCTs.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — this means for every 1000 gout patients who don’t control their uric acid, about 81 die each year, compared to only 26 who do — a huge difference in survival.
- 2Those who kept uric acid below 0.36 mmol/L had 25.7 deaths per 1000 people per year; those who didn’t had 80.9 deaths per 1000 people per year — over 3 times higher.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
RMD Open
Year
2019
Authors
F. Perez Ruiz, P. Richette, A. Stack, R. Karra Gurunath, M. J. García de Yébenes, L. Carmona
Related Content
Claims (6)
When serum uric acid levels are below 0.36 mmol/L, gout is considered under control, and patients do not need to continue taking high doses of allopurinol.
Patients with gout who do not lower their blood uric acid below 0.36 mmol/L within one year have more than twice the risk of dying from any cause or from cardiovascular disease compared to those who do, even after accounting for age, other health conditions, disease severity, and prior heart problems.
Patients with gout who do not lower their blood uric acid below 0.36 mmol/L have more than twice the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease compared to those who do, even when accounting for age, existing heart problems, high blood pressure, diabetes, and kidney function.
In people with gout, those who died were more likely to have had high levels of uric acid in their blood (above 0.36 mmol/L) than those who survived.
In people with gout, those who lower their blood uric acid below 0.36 mmol/L have a lower death rate per year compared to those who do not reach this level.
Patients with gout who maintain a serum uric acid level below 0.36 mmol/L have a 2.33 times lower risk of dying from any cause than those who do not achieve this level, regardless of their initial uric acid levels, how long they have had gout, or other health conditions.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.