Total health care spending among gout patients is a staggering $53 billion annually
May 21, 2018 (Washington, D.C.) The Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD) today released a new report, “Health Care Spending, Prevalence, Treatment, Health-Related Quality of Life and Productivity Associated with Gout Patients,” by PFCD Chairman Ken Thorpe, PhD, and focused on a chronic condition that affects an estimated 8.3 million Americans. Gout, one of the more common types of arthritis, is the most common inflammatory arthritis among men and makes up 15 percent of all diagnosed arthritis. Tomorrow, May 22, is National Gout Awareness Day.
Patients spend approximately $11,000 per patient per year to treat gout alone. This report provides the most comprehensive national estimate of health care spending and prevalence, quality of life and the impact on productivity and family income among gout patients. Notably, the prevalence of gout has doubled since 2000, and a majority of gout patients - nearly 65 percent -  have five or more chronic conditions, namely cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity. Gout can be treated effectively upon diagnosis, however awareness is a critical component of addressing this increasingly prevalent condition in a manner efficient enough to help avoid the excruciating pain that can result in advanced cases.
Understanding the risk factors, awareness of potential triggers, and access to information about treatment options are all valuable pieces of information. Early treatment, vigilant monitoring and medication adherence are especially important should you experience symptoms of gout.
“PFCD is committed to supporting efforts to raise awareness, understanding and action towards reducing the impact of gout and other arthritic conditions because we know the crippling impact to be had in terms of quality of life, productivity and unfortunately for many, income,” said PFCD Chairman Ken Thorpe. “Because gout is so often seen with a multitude of chronic conditions it motivates us to prioritize awareness and education efforts so that the sooner people know their risk, the sooner they can seek out treatment to address it.”
For the full paper, Health Care Spending, Prevalence, Treatment, Health-Related Quality of Life and Productivity Associated with Gout Patients, please visit: http://www.fightchronicdisease.org/issues/arthritis.
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The Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD) is an internationally-recognized organization of patients, providers, community organizations, business and labor groups, and health policy experts committed to raising awareness of the number one cause of death, disability, and rising health care costs: chronic disease. For more information please visit www.fightchronicdisease.org.
Media Contact: Jennifer Burke, Jennifer.burke@fightchronicdisease.org