Correspondence: Abdulrahman Ali M Khormi. Consultant internal medicine and Rheumatology, Assistant professor internal medicine and rheumatology -prince Sattam university medical college, AlKharj-KSA, aa.khormi@psau.edu.sa
Abstract Background Gout is a chronic non-communicable disease that might lead to multiple systemic complications if it is left untreated. The knowledge and attitudes among patients towards the diagnosis and management of gout are important indicators in determining the prognosis and predicting sequelae of the disease. This cross-sectional survey aimed to assess the knowledge, perspectives, and attitudes of patients diagnosed with gout toward the disease pathology, diagnosis, and treatment. Methodology An observational cross-sectional study was conducted at university clinics and local health facilities in central Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Two-hundred thirteen patients diagnosed with gout were selected by non-random, non-probability convenience sampling and invited to voluntarily participate in this survey. A structured questionnaire, which was written in Arabic and pre-tested in a previous pilot study, was distributed to and collected from the participants between April 2022 and August 2022. The data were entered into an Excel (version 2010) spreadsheet. Pearson chi- square analysis was used to determine associations between dependent variables. Statistical significance was defined as a P-value <0.05. Results The study included 109 patients (51.2%) ≥51 years of age with uncontrolled gout (more than two attacks), 38% of whom were males. The variation in body mass index was not statistically significant (P=0.384). The proportions of patients with diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and osteoarthritis were significantly different between patients with uncontrolled vs. controlled gout (P=0.041). There were significant differences between patients with uncontrolled vs. controlled gout in terms of age at diagnosis and the interval between symptom onset and rheumatologist consultation (P=0.043, P=0.043, and P=0.027, respectively). There were significant associations between annually recurring attacks of gout after treatment and (1) the chief complaints at the time of diagnosis (P=0.022), (2) the gout medication used after diagnosis (P=0.012), (3) the types of diagnostic tests undertaken (P=0.042), (4) the presence or absence of nutritionist consultations for gout-related advice and treatment (P=0.037), and (5) the presence or absence of a doctor’s advice regarding the treatment of acute gout attacks (P=0.043). No significant associations were determined between annual gout recurrences after treatment and (1) whether patients had discussions with their doctors about adopting a healthy lifestyle (such as eating moderate amounts of red meat, legumes, and shrimp to reduce the levels of uric acid in their blood) (P=0.048) or (2) patients’ satisfaction with support from family and friends (P=0.032). Conclusion Patients were adequately informed about gout and its treatment. Gout control was significantly associated with patients’ knowledge levels, patient age, and gout therapy. There were no associations between patients’ primary complaints and gout status at the time of diagnosis. Key words: Gout, patient perspectives, knowledge, attitudes