Older adults with gout and hyperuricemia are more likely to have worse lower but not upper extremity function, according to a study of 5,819 adults age ≥ 65 years. Researchers found:

•10% of participants reported a history of gout and 21% had hyperuricemia.

•There was no difference in grip strength by history of gout.

•Participants with gout performed worse on the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), with 0.77 times the prevalence odds of 1-unit increase in SPPB score and were 1.18 times more likely to have a poor SPPB score.

•Participants with gout had slower walking speeds and were 1.19 times more likely to have poor walking speed.

•Similarly, participants with hyperuricemia had worse SPPB score and walking speed, but not grip strength.

Citation: Burke BT, Kӧttgen A, Law A, et al. Physical function, hyperuricemia and gout in older adults enrolled in the atherosclerosis risk in communities cohort study. [Published online ahead of print July 2, 2015]. Arthritis Care Res. doi: 10. 1002/acr.22648.