Study Highlights Quality-of-Life and Productivity Burden Among Caregivers of Patients With Uncontrolled Gout
Key Clinical Summary
- Uncontrolled gout caregiver survey: A cross-sectional web survey in January–February 2025 included 40 informal caregivers; 73% were women and 73% were patients’ spouses or partners.
- Reported burden: More than 30% felt at least “quite a bit” stressed, overwhelmed, or physically exhausted. Depending on the patient’s urate-lowering therapy, 36%–50% reported at least moderate treatment-assistance burden.
- Daily life and work: Caregivers reported a 41% reduction in ability to perform daily activities. Employed respondents reported a 36% reduction in work ability and missed an average of 2.7 work hours in the previous seven days.
Informal caregivers of patients with uncontrolled gout (UG) experience substantial reductions in quality of life, work productivity, and daily functioning, according to a cross-sectional survey evaluating the impact of caregiving responsibilities.
Investigators defined UG as persistently elevated serum urate levels greater than 6 mg/dL with ongoing gout symptoms despite treatment with urate-lowering therapy (ULT). To characterize the caregiver experience, researchers first conducted concept elicitation interviews with informal caregivers between April and May 2024 to inform survey development. A separate group of caregivers was then recruited through physician panels to complete a web-based survey between January and February 2025.
The final survey included 40 caregivers. Most respondents were women (73%), had a mean age of 55.1 years, and were the spouse or partner of the patient with UG (73%).
Caregiving was associated with meaningful effects on health-related quality of life (HRQOL). More than 30% of respondents reported feeling at least "quite a bit" stressed, overwhelmed, or physically exhausted or drained. Depending on the type of urate-lowering therapy used by the patient, between 36% and 50% of caregivers reported at least a "moderate" burden related to assisting with treatment.
Caregiving responsibilities also affected daily functioning and employment. Overall, caregivers reported a 41% reduction in their ability to perform daily activities. Among employed respondents, caregiving was associated with a 36% reduction in work ability, and employed caregivers missed an average of 2.7 hours of work during the previous seven days because of caregiving responsibilities.
The authors concluded that “caring for a patient with UG substantially negatively impacted caregivers' HRQOL and interfered with caregivers' ability to work and perform daily activities.”
Reference
Gaffo A, Desai B, Oladapo A, et al. caregiver perspectives on the burden of disease and treatment in uncontrolled gout. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). Published online July 24, 2026. doi:10.1002/acr.80122
