People with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) continued to be at higher risk of developing gout beyond the first year after OSA diagnosis, according to a recent matched retrospective cohort study. Researchers also found that peak incidence of gout varies according to body mass index (BMI). Individuals aged ≥18 years with an incident diagnosis of OSA between 1990 and 2010 were identified and matched on age, gender, and practice to up to 4 individuals without OSA; follow‐up was until end of 2015. Study sample included 15,879 patients with OSA and 63,296 without; median follow‐up was 5.8 years. They found:

• 4.9% OSA and 2.6% non‐OSA patients developed gout.
• Incidence rate per 1,000 person‐years was 7.83 and 4.03 among those with and without OSA respectively; adjusted HR 1.42.
• The risk of incident gout among OSA patients compared to those without was highest 1 to 2 years after index date (1.64).
• This finding persisted among those overweight and obese.
• For those with normal BMI, the highest significant HR 2.02 was observed at 2 to 5 years post index date.