title: The rising prevalence and incidence of gout in British Columbia, Canada: Population-based trends from 2000 to 2012.
abstract: Gout is increasingly recognized as the most common form of inflammatory arthritis worldwide; however, no Canadian data on the disease burden of gout are available. We estimated the prevalence, incidence, prescription patterns, and comorbidity burden of gout in an entire Canadian province [British Columbia (BC)] over the last decade.
  
  
  
  We utilized PopulationData BC, a province-wide database, to estimate temporal trends in the prevalence and incidence of gout from 2000 to 2012, as well as according to age category. Annual estimates were age-sex-standardized using 2012 as the reference. We also examined annual trends in prescription patterns of common gout medications and assessed the comorbidity burden among gout patients in 2012.
  
  
  
  The 2012 prevalence of gout was 3.8% among the overall population, and the incidence rate was 2.9 per 1000 person-years. Both gout prevalence and incidence increased substantially over the study period. This burden additionally increased according to age category, affecting over 8% of those ages 60-69 years in 2012. Approximately 22% of gout patients received a prescription for urate-lowering therapy (ULT), which remained stable over the study period, while colchicine and oral glucocorticoid use both increased modestly. By 2012, 72%, 52%, and 18% of prevalent gout patients had been diagnosed with hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes, respectively.
  
  
  
  The burden of gout in BC, Canada, is substantial, and both the prevalence and incidence have increased over the past decade, while prescription of ULT remains low. These data support the need to improve gout prevention and care.
authors.affiliation: Arthritis Research Canada, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Experimental Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Sharan K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Rai
authors.affiliation: Arthritis Research Canada, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: J Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Aviña-Zubieta
authors.affiliation: Arthritis Research Canada, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Natalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: McCormick
authors.affiliation: Arthritis Research Canada, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Mary A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: De Vera
authors.affiliation: Arthritis Research Canada, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Kam
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shojania
authors.affiliation: Arthritis Research Canada, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Eric C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Sayre
authors.affiliation: Arthritis Research Canada, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Immunology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Electronic address: hchoi@partners.org.
authors.forename: Hyon K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Choi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000493:Allopurinol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001955:British Columbia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003078:Colchicine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015897:Comorbidity; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D000069465:Febuxostat / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006073:Gout / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006074:Gout Suppressants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000453:epidemiology; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011158:Population Growth; D015995:Prevalence; D011339:Probenecid / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013442:Sulfinpyrazone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014528:Uricosuric Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D006074:Gout Suppressants; D014528:Uricosuric Agents; D000069465:Febuxostat; D000493:Allopurinol; D011339:Probenecid; D003078:Colchicine; D013442:Sulfinpyrazone
keywords: Canada; Epidemiology; Gout; Incidence; Prescription patterns; Prevalence; Urate-lowering therapy