Gout Affects Work, Reduced by Effective Management

Gout and work characteristics have influenced work experiences for people with gout, which can be improved through effective gout management.¹

“Some people with gout experience shame, embarrassment, and social stigma because of traditional myths that gout is a disease in disguise of overeating. These characteristics can make people with gout gout have unique experiences and problems at work Although early qualitative studies have shown the impact of gout in different areas, there have been no prior qualitative studies designed to specifically examine the impact of gout at work. This study aims to understand the impact of gout on paid work,” lead researcher Cesar Diaz-Torne, MD, PhD, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Department of Medicine, University of Auckland, New Zealand, and Servei de Reumatologia, Hospital. de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, ​​Spain, and colleagues wrote.¹

Diaz-Torne and colleagues conducted semi-structured interviews in Spain and Aotearoa/New Zealand with people with gout who had developed gout during their career. The interviews, which were systematically analysed, explored how the outbreak affected work, job changes, self-disclosure and co-workers’ perceptions.

The researchers conducted a total of 18 interviews. Most of the people interviewed were men (89%) and they were 52.9 years old. They identified 6 themes during the interviews: gout factors, work factors, social experience, emotional experience, physical experience, and the positive effect of gout control. The causes of gout, including characteristics of the disease, such as pain intensity, tenderness, and affected joints, and job factors, including the physical demands of the job and flexibility at work, were determine work experience. Work experience was categorized into physical (ranging from being unable to work despite pain), emotional (feeling responsible, shame, guilt and depression) and social (including responses to disclosure and financial impact). Management of gout, including prompt control of gout flares and urate-lowering therapy, has improved the work experience by reducing the number of flares and severity of pain and allowing work attendance and participation.¹

“This qualitative study examined the impact of gout at work. The possibility of losing work is an important issue for people with gout. The burden of occupational inflammation has been studied in other rheumatic diseases. This study showed that the characteristics of the disease and work determined work experiences. Working with gout has had physical, emotional and social consequences. Ultimately, effective gout management improved experiences at work,” Diaz-Torne and colleagues wrote.¹

The impact of gout on quality of life is well documented. Earlier this month, a researcher led by Vibeke Strand, MD, associated with the Department of Immunology/Rheumatology at Stanford University School of Medicine, conducted a qualitative interview of 20 people with chronic gout, in explain more about its effect.²

They found that the most commonly reported symptoms were body pain (90.0%, n = 18), joint tenderness (90.0%, n = 18), joint swelling (90.0%, n = 18), and joint pain (80.0%, n = 16). The most frequently reported complications were difficulty climbing flights of stairs (100.0%, n = 20), climbing several flights of stairs (100.0%, n = 20), climbing 5 flights of stairs (95.0%, n = 19) , completing household chores (95.0%, n = 19), and running errands and shopping (95.0%, n = 19). All items were assessed from the Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI) and Medical Outcomes Survey Short Form-36 (SF-36). ) were reported by at least 25% of the subjects and were mapped based on the feedback expressed by the participants.²

ADDED

1. Diaz-Torne C, Pou MA, Horne A, Gasteiger C, Dalbeth N. ‘Gout was like a boss’. A qualitative study examining the impact of gout at work. RMD Open. Published online August 19, 2024. doi.org/10.1136/rmdopen-2024-004443
2. Strand V, Pillinger MH, Oladapo A, Yousefian C, Brooks D, Kragh N. The Patient Experience with Chronic Refractory Gout and Its Impact on Health-Related Health: A Literature Review and Qualitative Analysis. Rheumatol Ther. Published online August 5, 2024. doi:10.1007/s40744-024-00697-8.