title: [Study of patients with gout: clinical features in the last 2 years of monitoring].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to analyze the clinical characteristics of gout patients with < 3 attacks and ≥ 3 acute attacks per year.
  
  
  METHODS
  retrospective observational study carried out at 6-primary care (AP) and 2 hospitals. We included patient's ≥ 18 years during the years 2003-2007 inclusive. The study groups were: patients with 1-2 and ≥ 3 attacks/acute recurrences.The main variables: demographic, metabolic syndrome (MS), clinical features and treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  logistic regression model, p < 0.05.
  
  
  RESULTS
  3,130 patients were included. The mean age was 55.8 years and 81.1% were male:31.6% have ≥ 3 attacks per year. The prevalence of MS was 28.8% (CI: 27.2-30.4%) in patients with 1-2 attacks. Subjects with ≥ 3 acute attacks were associated with: MS (OR: 6.2; CI: 4.6-8.3; 65.8 vs. 11.8%), obesity (OR: 2.1; CI: 1.7-2.5;63.5 vs. 33.8%) and hypertension (OR: 1.6; CI: 1.3-1.9; 58.3 vs. 36.9%), p < 0.001; 58.4% continued to take allopurinol(50.3 vs. 62.2%; p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  patients with ≥ 3 attacks per year have a more severe disease with acute poly-articular, tophi and higher number of co-morbidities. It is important to control uric acid to reduce the recurrence of attacks in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Dirección de Planificación, Badalona Serveis Assistencials, Badalona, Barcelona, España. asicras@bsa.cat
authors.forename: Antoni
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sicras-Mainar
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Viana Álvarez
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Galera Llorca
authors.forename: Meritxell
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Granell Villalón
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Navarro-Artieda
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006073:Gout / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult