Contemporary Prevalence of Gout and Hyperuricemia in the United States and Decadal Trends: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007-2016

This study aimed to estimate the contemporary prevalence of gout and hyperuricemia in the United States and identify decadal trends using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 2007 and 2016. The researchers analyzed data from 5,467 participants in the 2015-2016 cycle to establish current prevalence rates and utilized the full 2007-2016 dataset to evaluate trends. Additionally, the study investigated the usage of urate-lowering therapy (ULT) and factors associated with achieving therapeutic serum urate targets among gout patients using data from 2007-2014.

In 2015-2016, the prevalence of gout among U.S. adults was 3.9%, representing approximately 9.2 million people. The prevalence was higher in men (5.2%) than in women (2.7%). Hyperuricemia, defined as serum urate levels >7.0 mg/dL in men and >5.7 mg/dL in women, affected approximately 20% of the adult population. Notably, the prevalence of both conditions remained stable throughout the decade from 2007 to 2016. Despite the significant burden of the disease, only about one-third of patients with gout were receiving ULT. Among those on therapy, only 59% achieved the target serum urate level of <6.0 mg/dL, compared to 31% of those not on therapy.

These findings highlight a persistent gap in the management of gout. While the prevalence of the disease has plateaued, the absolute number of affected individuals remains high, and the low rate of ULT utilization suggests that many patients are not receiving adequate care to prevent flares and associated comorbidities. The study identifies specific subgroups—such as those with obesity, chronic kidney disease, or those taking thiazide diuretics—who are less likely to reach therapeutic targets, suggesting that clinical practice may need to become more aggressive in managing these high-risk populations to improve patient outcomes.