Medical Education and Lifestyle Programs

One hundred ten (51.6%) and 71 (33.3%) patients with uncontrolled and controlled gout, respectively, indicated having spoken with their doctors about the ideal level of uric acid in the blood that should be achieved after treatment for gout, compared with 21 (9.9%) and 11 (5.2%) patients who indicated that they had not had such a discussion with a doctor (P=0.213). One hundred (46.9%) and 58 (27.2%) patients with uncontrolled and controlled gout, respectively, indicated having discussed with their doctors how to treat acute gout attacks, compared with 11 (5.2%) and 13 (6.1%) who had not had such discussions with their doctors (P=0.043). Ninety-eight (46.0%) and 47 (22.1%) patients with uncontrolled and controlled gout, respectively, had spoken with their doctors about medications that can lower the levels of uric acid in the blood, compared with 33 (15.5%) and 35 (16.4%) who indicated not having had such discussions with their doctors (P=0.049). Thirty-five (16.4%) and 22 (10.3%) patients with uncontrolled and controlled gout, respectively, used analgesics and increased their fluid intake to treat acute gout attacks, followed by 32 (15.0%) and 19 (8.9%) who indicated using colchicine and analgesics (P=0.731). Ninety-four (44.1%) and 54 (25.4%) patients with uncontrolled and controlled gout, respectively, had discussions with their doctors about how long they should continue taking treatment, compared with 15 (7.0%) and 15 (7.0%) who had not had such discussions with their doctors (P=0.354). Ninety-eight (46.0%) and 47 (22.1%) patients in the uncontrolled and controlled gout groups indicated having spoken with their doctors about adopting healthy lifestyle choices, such as eating moderate amounts of red meat, legumes, and shrimp to reduce the levels of uric acid in their blood (in addition to taking medication), compared with 33 (15.5%) and 35 (16.4%) who indicated not having had such discussions with their doctors (P=0.048). Thirty-five (16.4%) and 61 (28.6) patients with uncontrolled and controlled gout, respectively, had spoken with their doctors about smoking cessation, compared with 63 (29.6%) and 54 (25.4%) who had not spoken with their doctors about smoking cessation (P=0.563). Forty-one (19.2%) and 50 (23.5%) patients with uncontrolled and controlled gout, respectively, spoke with their doctors about losing weight and following a healthy lifestyle, compared with 61 (28.6) and 61 (28.6) who indicated not having had such discussions with their doctors (P=0.754). Thirty-two (15.0%) and 43 (20.2%) patients with uncontrolled and controlled gout, respectively, considered minimizing their consumption of red meat as a lifestyle measure to control gout, compared with 22 (10.3%) and 23 (10.8%) who indicated considered increasing fluid intake and decreasing seafood consumption (P=0.375) (Table 4).Table 4. Medical Education and Lifestyle Programs