Incident Gout in Women and Association with Obesity in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study
American Journal of Medicine, 06/26/2012

Maynard JW et al. – In a large cohort of black and white women, obesity in early– and mid–adulthood, and weight gain during this interval, were each independent risk factors for incident gout in women.

• The authors examined the incidence of gout in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study, a population–based biracial cohort comprised of individuals aged 45–65 years at baseline (1987–1989).
• A total of 6263 women without prior history of gout were identified.
• The authors examined the association of body mass index (BMI) and obesity at cohort entry and at age 25 years, waist–to–hip ratio, and weight change with gout incidence (1996–1998).

• Over 9 years of follow–up, 106 women developed gout.
• The cumulative incidence of gout, by age 70 years, according to BMI category at baseline of <25, 25–29.9, 30–34.9, and ≥35 kg/m2, was 1.9, 3.6, 7.9, and 11.8%, respectively (P <.001).
• Obese women (BMI ≥30) at baseline had an adjusted 2.4–fold greater risk of developing gout than nonobese women (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.53–3.68).
• This association was attenuated after further adjustment for urate levels.
• Further, early adult obesity in women was associated with a 2.8–fold increased risk of gout compared with nonobese women (95% CI, 1.33–6.09), which remained statistically significant after baseline urate adjustment.
• There was a graded association between each anthropometric measure, including weight gain, with incident gout (each P for trend <.001).
• The results were similar in black and white women.