Gout affects about 3.9% of the United States population and is a chronic inflammatory arthritis. Many people recognize gout as chronic, yet hold incorrect beliefs about management and risks. A majority think diet alone can replace daily medication, many believe gout affects only the feet and toes, and many think treatment can be stopped when symptoms improve. These beliefs reduce adherence to long-term control steps. Gout also causes broader harm beyond episodic pain, including reduced quality of life, depression, isolation, and emergency room visits. Most people with gout report impacts beyond physical symptoms, including missed work and social disruption.
"“After 20 years of Gout Awareness Day, we've made progress in recognition, but much more work is needed to improve understanding,” said N. Lawrence Edwards, MD, MACP, MACR, chairman of the Gout Education Society. “Gout is highly treatable, yet too many patients are relying on incomplete or incorrect information, which can lead to unnecessary pain, complications and long-term joint damage.”"
"Misconceptions about gout treatment remain widespread: 59% of Americans believe gout can be managed without daily medication if diet is controlled; 55% believe gout only affects the feet and toes; 41% think patients can stop treatment once symptoms subside. When patients believe gout is temporary or manageable without long-term treatment, they are far less likely to take the steps needed to control the disease."
"The findings reinforce that gout is far more than episodic pain: It has measurable impact on overall well-being: 35% of patients report reduced quality of life; 28% report depression related to gout; 22% feel isolated; 20% visited the emergency room in the past year due to symptoms. Overall, 93% of gout sufferers say the disease impacts their lives beyond physical symptoms, and many Americans say they witness missed work and social disruption among those they know with gout."
Read at Alternative Medicine Magazine
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