Comparative Study of Real-Life Management Strategies in Gout: Data From Two Protocolized Gout Clinics

OBJECTIVE

To compare outcomes of 2 gout clinics that implemented different treatment strategies.

METHODS

Patients newly diagnosed with gout and a follow-up of 9-15 months were included. Co-primary outcomes were the proportion of patients reaching a serum uric acid (UA) ≤0.36 mmoles/liter and free of flares. Secondary outcomes were the proportion of patients requiring treatment intensification and experiencing adverse events. One clinic adopted a strict serum UA (≤0.30 mmoles/liter target) strategy, with early addition of a uricosuric to allopurinol, and the other clinic adopted a patient-centered (PC) strategy emphasizing a shared decision based on serum UA and patient satisfaction with gout control. Independent t-tests or chi-square tests were used to test differences in outcomes, and logistic regressions were used to adjust the effect of the treatment center on outcomes for confounders.

RESULTS

In total, 126 and 86 patients had a follow-up mean ± SD of 11.3 ± 1.8 versus 11.1 ± 1.9 months. In the UA strategy, 105 of 126 patients (83%) compared to 63 of 86 (74%) in the PC strategy (P = 0.10) reached the threshold of ≤0.36 mmoles/liter; and 58 of 126 (46%) versus 31 of 86 (36%) were free of flares (P = 0.15). In the UA strategy, 76 of 126 patients (60%) were on allopurinol monotherapy compared to 63 of 86 (73%) in the PC strategy (P = 0.05), yet the number of adverse events was not different (n = 25 [20%] versus n = 20 [23%]; P = 0.55). Adjusting for confounders did not substantially change these associations.

CONCLUSION

A strict UA strategy resulted in a nonsignificantly higher proportion of patients reaching a serum UA ≤0.36 mmoles/liter and being free of flares. This result was accomplished with significantly more therapy intensification. The small sample size plays a role in the significance of results.