Gout and risk of diabetes mellitus: meta-analysis of observational studies

To determine the prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) in people with gout, and investigate the relationship between gout and the occurrence of DM. Systematic review and meta-analysis of epidemiological studies. Data sources: MEDLINE, Web of Science, EMBASE and CINAHL databases, hand-searched reference lists, citation history and contact with authors. Eligibility criteria: cohort, case-control or cross-sectional studies which examined the occurrence of DM amongst adults with gout (with or without gout group) in primary care or general population samples. Prevalence and risk estimate meta-analyses were performed using a random-effects model. A total of 23 identified studies matched the inclusion criteria, reporting on a total of 575 284 gout patients. Meta-analyses revealed that the prevalence of DM in gout patients was 16% (95% CI, 14-18%, I-2 = 99.8%) according to clinical interviews. In the subgroup analysis, the prevalence of DM was higher in the female population (18%, 95%CI 2.7-33.3%) than the male population (12.6%, 95%CI 8.2-17.1%). As age increased, the incidence of diabetes in gout population increased. DM is commonly found among patients with gout. Patients with gout should be actively screened for DM and its consequences.