PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS AND HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG CONTROLLED AND UNCONTROLLED GOUT PATIENTS: EVIDENCE FROM THE MEPS DATABASE
Author(s)
Elizabeth A. Ibiloye, MS, PhD1, Niranjan Kathe, MS, PhD1, Brian LaMoreaux, MD, MS1, Zhouyang Lou, PhD2, Harshit Dixit, MBA3, Navneet Kumar, PhD3, Mahesh Gudivada, MBA3, Brent Mankin, BS2, Amar Majjhoo, MD4;
1Amgen Inc, Thousand Oaks, CA, USA, 2Axtria Inc, Berkeley Heights, NJ, USA, 3Axtria India Pvt. Ltd, Gurugram, India, 4Shores Rheumatology, St Clair Shores, MI, USA
1Amgen Inc, Thousand Oaks, CA, USA, 2Axtria Inc, Berkeley Heights, NJ, USA, 3Axtria India Pvt. Ltd, Gurugram, India, 4Shores Rheumatology, St Clair Shores, MI, USA
OBJECTIVES: Despite evidence linking uncontrolled gout to worse health-related quality of life (HRQoL), nationally representative U.S. data remain limited. Using the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), we describe patient characteristics and HRQoL in controlled and uncontrolled gout and comparatively evaluate HRQoL outcomes between these groups.
METHODS: This retrospective cross-sectional study used MEPS data (2009-2022) to identify gout patients, excluding those with cancer. Controlled gout was defined as no flares or no flare related medications or opioids, while uncontrolled gout was defined as ≥2 flares within the survey year. The survey design weights were applied for the analysis. Outcomes included Physical Component Summary (PCS-12), Mental Component Summary (MCS-12), K-6 scores, and derived EQ-5D utilities. Comparative HRQoL differences between controlled and uncontrolled gout were estimated using inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) adjusted for demographic and socio-economic variables.
RESULTS: A weighted total of 9,367,453 adults with gout were identified (controlled: 8,873,687 [94.7%]; uncontrolled: 493,766 [5.3%]), with 59.4% being male and a mean age of 61.3 years. Significant differences were observed between controlled and uncontrolled groups in urate-lowering therapy use (allopurinol: 69% vs 50%, p=0.03; febuxostat: 2% vs 7%, p=0.01), health insurance coverage (p=0.005), and race (p=0.01). HRQoL outcomes also differed significantly, with uncontrolled gout associated with lower PCS scores (46.47 vs 39.27, p=0.02), lower EQ-5D utilities (0.87 vs 0.80, p=0.009), and higher K-6 distress (2.64 vs 4.50, p=0.01). After IPTW adjustment, uncontrolled gout continued to show significantly lower PCS (46.51 vs 37.08, p=0.008) and EQ-5D scores (0.87 vs 0.79, p=0.008) and higher K-6 distress (2.63 vs 4.53, p=0.03), while MCS remained comparable (52.49 vs 52.47, p=0.99), indicating persistent HRQoL burden beyond baseline imbalances.
CONCLUSIONS: Uncontrolled gout was associated with significantly lower HRQoL, underscoring the need to improve disease management strategies and to address the humanistic burden in this population.
METHODS: This retrospective cross-sectional study used MEPS data (2009-2022) to identify gout patients, excluding those with cancer. Controlled gout was defined as no flares or no flare related medications or opioids, while uncontrolled gout was defined as ≥2 flares within the survey year. The survey design weights were applied for the analysis. Outcomes included Physical Component Summary (PCS-12), Mental Component Summary (MCS-12), K-6 scores, and derived EQ-5D utilities. Comparative HRQoL differences between controlled and uncontrolled gout were estimated using inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) adjusted for demographic and socio-economic variables.
RESULTS: A weighted total of 9,367,453 adults with gout were identified (controlled: 8,873,687 [94.7%]; uncontrolled: 493,766 [5.3%]), with 59.4% being male and a mean age of 61.3 years. Significant differences were observed between controlled and uncontrolled groups in urate-lowering therapy use (allopurinol: 69% vs 50%, p=0.03; febuxostat: 2% vs 7%, p=0.01), health insurance coverage (p=0.005), and race (p=0.01). HRQoL outcomes also differed significantly, with uncontrolled gout associated with lower PCS scores (46.47 vs 39.27, p=0.02), lower EQ-5D utilities (0.87 vs 0.80, p=0.009), and higher K-6 distress (2.64 vs 4.50, p=0.01). After IPTW adjustment, uncontrolled gout continued to show significantly lower PCS (46.51 vs 37.08, p=0.008) and EQ-5D scores (0.87 vs 0.79, p=0.008) and higher K-6 distress (2.63 vs 4.53, p=0.03), while MCS remained comparable (52.49 vs 52.47, p=0.99), indicating persistent HRQoL burden beyond baseline imbalances.
CONCLUSIONS: Uncontrolled gout was associated with significantly lower HRQoL, underscoring the need to improve disease management strategies and to address the humanistic burden in this population.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2026-05, ISPOR 2026, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Value in Health, Volume 29, Issue S6
Code
PCR89
Topic
Patient-Centered Research
Topic Subcategory
Patient-reported Outcomes & Quality of Life Outcomes
Disease
SDC: Musculoskeletal Disorders (Arthritis, Bone Disorders, Osteoporosis, Other Musculoskeletal)