Hyperuricaemia and gout in New Zealand rural and urban Māori and non-Māori communities.

BACKGROUND

There are few current data on the prevalence of hyperuricaemia and gout in New Zealand, particularly among the indigenous Māori population.

AIMS: To determine the prevalence of gout and hyperuricaemia in rural and urban Māori and non-Māori community samples and describe the treatment and comorbidities of participants with gout.

METHODS

Participants aged 20-64 years were recruited by random selection from the electoral roll. Māori samples were selected from among those identified as being of Māori descent on the roll and who self-identified as being of Māori ethnicity at interview. Personal medical history, blood pressure, anthropometrics, fasting lipids, glucose, HbA1c and urate were recorded.

RESULTS

There were 751 participants. Mean serum urate (SU) was 0.30 mmol/L (0.06-0.69 mmol/L). Māori had a significantly higher prevalence of hyperuricaemia (SU > 0.40 mmol/L) compared with non-Māori (17.0% vs 7.5%, P = 0.0003). A total of 57 participants had a history of gout, with a higher prevalence in Māori compared with non-Māori (10.3% vs 2.3%, P < 0.0001). Of the participants, 18/57 (31.6%) with gout were receiving urate-lowering therapy, but in 38.9%, SU was >0.36 mmol/L. Participants with gout were more likely to have metabolic syndrome, diabetes, cardiac disease or hypertension.

CONCLUSIONS

Gout and hyperuricaemia were more prevalent in Māori, and participants with gout were more likely to have comorbidities. There was not a higher overall adjusted cardiovascular disease risk in Māori participants with gout. Despite the high prevalence of gout, management remains suboptimal.