Study on Gout and Cardiac Health

A recent study conducted at the First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College uncovered a notable connection between the family history of gout and left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction in patients with primary gout. The findings were published in the International Journal of General Medicine and offer new insights into the hereditary factors influencing cardiac health in gout sufferers.

The research involved a total of 284 patients spanning from September 2020 to July 2022 and meticulously gathered data on the family history of gout along with general information and laboratory markers in patients. Through advanced echocardiography, the team led by Wen Wen measured parameters that were indicative of LV diastolic function to assess heart health. The analysis revealed that patients with a familial link to gout showed significantly altered diastolic function parameters that point towards an inherited predisposition to cardiac complications along with gout.

Key Findings

• Parameters such as the ratio of peak early to late mitral diastolic velocity (E/A) and velocities indicating diastolic motion of the septal and lateral mitral annulus (Sepe’ and Late’, respectively) were markedly lower in patients with a family history of gout.
• These individuals expressed an increased left atrial volume index (LAVI) and E/e’ ratio, suggesting a predisposition towards more severe cardiac dysfunctions.
• 41.6% of patients with a familial gout history showed grade ≥ 2 LV diastolic insufficiency, significantly higher than their counterparts without such a history (12.3%).

The study not only confirmed the correlation between family history and LV diastolic dysfunction but also identified a combined marker of family history and serum uric acid (SUA) levels as a potent predictor for severe LV diastolic insufficiency in gout patients. This research highlights the intricate link of genetic predispositions with the disease to broader health issues by emphasizing the need for targeted screening and personalized treatment strategies for patients with a family history of gout.

Overall, the crucial findings of this study pave the way for further research into genetic markers and their role in predicting and managing the comorbid conditions in gout patients, which could potentially improve the treatment approach and prevention of heart disease in this population.

Source

Wen, W., Lei, P., Dang, W., Ma, L., Hu, J., & Liu, J. (2024). Association Between Family History in Patients with Primary Gout and Left Ventricular Diastolic Function: A Cross-Sectional Study. In International Journal of General Medicine: Vol. Volume 17 (pp. 1311–1322). Informa UK Limited. https://doi.org/10.2147/ijgm.s450951