title: Quality of life and disability in patients with treatment-failure gout.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The relationship between self-reported quality of life and disability and disease severity was evaluated in subjects with treatment-failure gout (n = 110) in a prospective, 52-week, observational study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects had symptomatic crystal-proven gout of at least 2 years' duration and intolerance or refractoriness to conventional urate-lowering therapy. Serum uric acid (sUA) concentration, swollen and tender joint counts, frequency and severity of gout flares, tophus assessments, comorbidities, and patient-reported outcomes data [Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 (SF-36), Health Assessment Questionnaire-Damage Index] were collected. Analyses included correlations of patient-reported outcomes with clinical variables and changes in clinical status.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean age of study subjects was 59 years. Mean scores on SF-36 physical functioning subscales were 34.2-46.8, analogous to persons aged >or= 75 years in the general population. Subjects with more severe gout at baseline had worse health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in all areas (p < 0.02 for all measures), compared to patients with mild-moderate disease. Number of flares reported in past year, number of tender joints, swollen joints, and tophi correlated significantly with some or all HRQOL and disability measures. sUA was not significantly correlated with any HRQOL or disability measure. Subjects with comorbidities experienced worse physical, but not mental, functioning.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Severe gout is associated with poor HRQOL and disability, especially for patients who experience more gout flares and have a greater number of involved joints. Subject perceptions of gout-related functioning and pain severity appear to be highly sensitive indicators of HRQOL and disability.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biological Sciences, Rheumatology Section, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: H Ralph
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Schumacher
authors.forename: Katy L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Benjamin
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gorevic
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Greenwald
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fessel
authors.forename: Lawrence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.forename: Ariane K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Kawata
authors.forename: Lori
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Frank
authors.forename: Royce
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Waltrip
authors.forename: Allan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maroli
authors.forename: Bill
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: John S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Sundy