While the economic burden of gout has not been widely researched, there have been studies to estimate workplace productivity loss and individual health care burdens. A 2013 literature review estimated the economic burden of gout at more than $6 billion per year. According to a 2013 study from the Arthritis Research Centre of Canada, the University of British Columbia and Boston University, there is a $2,021 annual work productivity loss per gout patient suffering from more than three attacks per year. For those patients that suffer six or more gout attacks per year, direct gout-related health care costs top $12,020.
As the incidence of gout rises, so do the costs associated with managing the disease
This not only affects gout sufferers individually but also the economy as a whole.
Managing Gout
An additional study in February 2015 reported that elderly and treatment-resistant gout patients could pay $16,925 to $18,362 per person in order to manage their gout.
According to a 2016 study, the rate of hospitalizations for gout doubled from 4.4 to 8.8 per 100,000 from 1993-2011. In the same period, inflation-adjusted annual hospitalization costs for gout rose by 68 percent from $34,457 to $58,003.
Many of these costs can be reduced simply by understanding the cause of gout and seeking immediate treatments for the disease – right at the first attack.
Strategies for Reducing Costs for Gout Sufferers
- If you think you have gout or are suffering from symptoms of gout, get treatment early.
- Get your uric acid level checked twice a year, with a goal of keeping it below 6 mg/dL.
- Live a healthy gout lifestyle by exercising regularly and avoiding alcohol and foods that are high in purines and fructose.
- Take your medications as prescribed and talk to your health care professional about any problems with them. Often, patients will stop a uric-acid lowering medication because it can initially trigger a gout flare – but this may be the correct long-term therapy to avoid future attacks. Other times, patients will stop medications when they are symptom free. This can also lead to future attacks.
Gout Cartoons
Check out this months featured gout cartoons, inked by artist Shaun Boland.
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