Assessing the impact of gout: validating and understanding outcomes

Gout is the most common rheumatic disorder in the world and is characterised by attacks of severe pain, redness and swelling of the joints. Gout patients often have other conditions as well (comorbidity), such as cardiovascular disease. With its unpredictable episodes and chronic damage, gout can have a significant impact on a patient's health, particularly when paired with comorbidity. At the moment, research is limited, possibly because gout is a very treatable disease that is not expected to have an immediate impact on health. This dissertation (I) supports the assumption that both gout and comorbidity have an effect on health (II) quantifies an unexpectedly high disease burden (in terms of physical limitations, quality of life and healthcare costs) and (III) highlights the role of general practitioners in treating patients with gout. As such, this dissertation can serve as a starting point for economic and other assessments of innovative medications or as a starting point for further research in a GP setting.