2011 Recommendations for the diagnosis and management of gout and hyperuricemia.

AbstractGout is a major health problem in the United States; it affects 8.3 million people, which is approximately 4% of the adult population. Gout is most often diagnosed and managed in primary care physician practices. Primary care physicians have a significant opportunity to diagnose and manage patients with gout and improve patient outcomes. Following publication of the 2006 European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) gout guidelines, significant evidence on gout has accumulated and new treatments for patients with gout have become available. It is the objective of these 2011 recommendations for the diagnosis and management of gout and hyperuricemia to update the 2006 EULAR guidelines, paying special attention to the needs of primary care physicians, who manage most patients with gout. The revised 2011 recommendations are based on the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach as an evidence–based strategy for rating quality of evidence and grading strength of recommend...