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The Gout & Uric Acid Education Society (GUAES) is committed to raising public awareness about gout and arming health care professionals, like you, with resources to share with patients and the most up-to-date information about gout diagnosis and treatment.
As you may know, gout continues to affect a growing number of Americans every year. Yet, new research from GUAES reveals that very few adults understand the importance or regular sUA testing, let alone the recommended levels for preventing gout and other comorbidities.
According to the survey, just 16% of Americans know the target uric acid level (6 mg/dL or below) for treating gout. Additionally, just four out of 10 Americans, including those who have gout, know that an elevated uric acid level contributes to an increased risk for gout and gout flares. And only half of people with gout believe it's important to monitor their uric acid levels regularly in order to prevent future flares.
This low awareness is translating into lack of action - with just 10% of Americans overall, and 38% of people with gout, saying they have had their uric acid checked within the past six months. One in three people with gout say it's been more than a year since they've had their levels tested, and an alarming two-thirds of Americans say they have never had their levels checked, or aren't sure if they did.
The survey also revealed many misconceptions about gout and low awareness of the steps to take once a gout diagnosis is made. Additional results can be found here.
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Remind Patients to"Go For 6"
This Football Season
To kick off football season this month, we've introduced a new comic from artist Shaun Boland to remind patients who have or who are at risk for gout to think about their uric acid levels. Both the ACR and EULAR propose a target sUA level of less than 6 mg/dL in their gout treatment guidelines.
Learn more about the "Go for 6" campaign and the importance of encouraging your patients to control their uric acid levels here.
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ACR Releases New Classification
Criteria for Gout
 The American College of Rheumatology (ACR), in collaboration with the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR), has released a new publication regarding new classification criteria for gout. While five clinical classification criteria for gout currently exist, they have not been adequately validated. The release of the new criteria marks an important step forward in advancing research and treatment for improved gout management.
Click here to access the complete article.
Click here to access a web-based Gout Classification Criteria Calculator.
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September 15 - October 15 is National Hispanic Heritage Month. Did you know that ethnicity can impact a patient's risk for developing gout? Hispanics face greater risks for several comorbidities - including obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease - which can put them at an increased risk for developing gout.
Despite their risks, new research from GUAES found that only one in three Hispanics knows why it's importance to check sUA levels regularly and just 17% had their levels checked within the past six months.
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Featured Material from the
Gout & Uric Acid Education Society
Display this poster in your office to educate patients about the importance of knowing their sUA number and keeping it below 6.0 mg/dL.
To request free copies of print materials, visit the 'Contact Us' page.
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Stay up-to-date with news from the
Gout & Uric Acid Education Society
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