A profile of health status and demographics of aged care facility residents with gout

Objective: To estimate gout prevalence and examine associated factors in residential aged care facilities. Methods: Electronic data from 11 548 residents aged 65+ during 2014-2017 from 68 residential aged care facilities in Australia were analysed. Gout prevalence was estimated, and regression was used to assess differences in comorbidities, sociodemographic factors and health status between residents with and without gout. Results: Over 10% of residents had gout. Most common comorbidities in these residents were hypertension (71.3%), heart disease (37.9%) and diabetes (33.0%) and they were more likely to have renal disease and historical myocardial infarction. The interaction between comorbid gout had complex interactions between age, sex and comorbidities for diabetes and depression was complex. Conclusions: Gout is common among older people in residential care but may be under-recognised. Holistic management of gout is needed in this population, with careful consideration of chronic comorbidities and treatments.