Patients with hyperuricemia or gout who were ambulatory had a higher likelihood of heart failure (HF) compared with those who did not have hyperuricemia or gout, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Translational Medicine.
Utilizing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted between 2001 and 2018, the study included data from non-pregnant participants aged ≥20 years with or without hyperuricemia, gout, and HF. The researchers employed various statistical analyses, including binary logistic regression, Kaplan–Meier curve, Cox proportional-hazards model, and restricted cubic spline analysis, to assess the relationships among these conditions as well as all-cause mortality.
Out of the weighted eligible participants (204,179,060 from 2001-2018 and 223,702,171 from 2007-2018), 19.6% had hyperuricemia, and 4.1% had gout. The study identified older age, diabetes, stroke, and coronary artery disease (CAD) as risk factors for HF in individuals with hyperuricemia and gout. The median survival time for patients with HF and hyperuricemia was 7.00 years, while for those with HF and gout, it was 6.25 years. The 5-year survival rate was 59.9% for HF patients with hyperuricemia and 55.9% for HF patients with gout.
Additionally, the results of the study suggested that patients with hyperuricemia or gout were 2.46 and 2.35 times more likely to develop HF, respectively, compared with those without these conditions. Furthermore, patients with HF and hyperuricemia or gout had a 1.37- and 1.45-times higher risk of experiencing all-cause mortality.
“The present study,” per the researchers, “found that ambulatory patients with hyperuricemia, gout, or HF had a high burden of cardiometabolic comorbidities, including obesity, hypertension, diabetes, CAD, and stroke.”
However, the study had several limitations. Firstly, the uric acid levels were measured only once, failing to capture its dynamic nature influenced by dietary factors, potentially introducing bias. Secondly, due to limited data availability, not all potential confounding factors could be included in the analysis.
Despite the limitations, the study’s results offer crucial epidemiological evidence for recognizing modifiable risk factors and addressing the emerging dual epidemic of hyperuricemia, gout, and HF.
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