Gout linked with 71 per cent increased risk of type 2 diabetes in women

Gout is linked with a greater risk of type 2 diabetes and the association was found to be stronger in women with gout.
The study, carried out by researchers from Harvard Medical School in Boston (US), involved 35,339 people with gout which were compared against 137,056 people without gout. 72% of the study participants were male and the average age of participants, of both genders, was 63 years old.
People with gout were found to be more likely to drink higher amounts of alcohol, be more likely to take steroids and diuretics, visit the doctor more often and have additional health conditions. Therefore, hazard ratios, a measure of risk, were adjusted to take into account smoking status, alcohol consumptio, doctors’ visits, medication use and other health conditions.
The results showed that women with gout were 71% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than participants, with the same BMI, without gout. For men the risk was lower but still significant, with 48% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those with the same BMI but without gout.
The researchers conclude that the results suggest that gout may be linked with type 2 diabetes independently from other factors such as alcohol consumption and medications.