Multiple comorbidities and economic burden of hospitalized gout patients in Guangdong Province.

Introduction: This study aimed to analyze the prevalence of multiple comorbidities and economic burden of hospitalized patients with gout in Guangdong Province.

Methods: We retrieved the homepage information of 593,792 hospitalized patients with gout from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2021 through the Guangdong Provincial Medical Record Homepage System and analyzed the prevalence of single comorbidity and multiple comorbidities and economic burden.

Results: 1. The prevalence of gout was 1.31%. The prevalence in males was five times higher than that of females. 2. The prevalence of hypertension was highest (42.59%) in gout patients; the following were type 2 diabetes (18.03%) and hyperlipidemia (17.98%). 3. The prevalence of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, type 2 diabetes, chronic heart failure, coronary heart disease, and chronic kidney disease were more prevalent in women (P < 0.05). 4. Gout-hypertension-type 2 diabetes had the highest prevalence in all gout patients. The prevalence of multiple complications showed an increasing trend. 5. Gout- hypertension-type 2 diabetes had the highest prevalence in male and female patients (P < 0.001). Except for the prevalence of gout-hypertension-obesity, gout-obesity-type 2 diabetes and gout-hypertension-obesity-type 2 diabetes, the prevalence of other multiple comorbidities was significantly higher in women (P < 0.001). 6. The average annual cost of hospitalized patients with acute gouty arthritis ranged from RMB 5994.45 to RMB 6709.66, which decreased in women. From 2020 to 2021, the average cost of men with acute gout was much higher than that of women. From 2018 to 2021, the average cost was highest in patients among 40-69 years old.

Conclusions: 1. Gout patients often have single and multiple comorbidities with a higher prevalence in women, and the prevalence showed an increasing trend. 2. Acute gout patients had high hospital costs, and female patients showed a downward trend. Key points • Gout patients have increasing single and multiple comorbidities with a higher prevalence in women. • Acute gout patients had high hospital costs, and female patients showed a downward trend.