Gout is not a life sentence: be informed.

Abstract

“I knew as much about gout as you could fit on a postage stamp. I had a vision of a cartoon Lord-of-the-manor image, drinking with a large bandage around his foot.” Malcolm is not alone in his thinking, nor is he alone in receiving sub-optimal gout treatment. He articulates the impact gout has had on his mind, body, and quality of life: “I know pain, I've had broken bones, I've been shot, even a knee replacement, but nothing compares to a gout attack—it takes over completely; I can't function, can't move, nothing relieves it.” By the time his flare-ups had escalated from two per year to an overall 50% occurrence, the anxiety and depression caused by more than 4 years of progressive and sustained attacks led him to thoughts of suicide. Efficacy and cost-effectiveness of nurse-led care involving education and engagement of patients and a treat-to-target urate-lowering strategy versus usual care for gout: a randomised controlled trialNurse-led gout care is efficacious and cost-effective compared with usual care. Our findings illustrate the benefits of educating and engaging patients in gout management and reaffirm the importance of a treat-to-target urate-lowering treatment strategy to improve patient-centred outcomes. Full-Text PDF Open Access