Young adults with gout face a significantly higher risk of developing atrial fibrillation, or an irregular heartbeat, than those without the condition, according to a new study released as gout cases continue to climb in South Korea. Researchers said the findings underscore the need for early health management, given that gout can lead to long-term cardiovascular complications.
A joint research team announced on the 19th that it had confirmed the link after analyzing data on about 6.5 million South Korean adults aged 20 to 39. The team included professors Kang Eun-song and Jung Jae-hyun of the rheumatology department at Korea University Ansan Hospital, professor Han Kyung-do of the department of statistics and actuarial science at Soongsil University, and researchers from Korea University Guro and Anam hospitals.
Using data from the National Health Insurance Service, the researchers examined 6,506,721 adults aged 20 to 39 who underwent health screenings between 2009 and 2012. Of those, 35,742 had been diagnosed with gout. The team tracked whether the participants newly developed atrial fibrillation from the time of screening through the end of 2023.
Even after adjusting for variables including age, sex, lifestyle habits and coexisting illnesses, gout patients showed a roughly 44% higher risk of developing atrial fibrillation than people without gout.
The effect was far greater among patients with chronic kidney disease. Those with both chronic kidney disease and gout were up to 2.49 times more likely to develop atrial fibrillation than those without either condition. The researchers said chronic systemic inflammation triggered by gout likely had a direct impact on the onset of atrial fibrillation.
"This study shows that gout goes beyond simply affecting the joints and is very closely tied to cardiovascular health," Kang said. "That is why even young gout patients need to pay continuous attention to their long-term risk of cardiovascular disease." The researchers added that because the study was observational, further research is needed to establish a direct causal relationship between the two conditions.
Gout is a form of inflammatory arthritis that causes severe pain and swelling in the joints. It occurs when uric acid builds up and forms crystals. Diets heavy in fatty foods, meat and beer are known to raise the risk of developing the condition. According to Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service data, 553,254 patients visited hospitals for gout in 2024, up about 18% from 468,083 in 2020. People in their 20s through 40s accounted for about 48% of all patients. To avoid gout attacks, experts recommend improving eating habits, refraining from drinking alcohol and drinking enough water to help flush out uric acid.
