Gout Versus Pseudogout in the Medically Underserved Rio Grande Valley

Background Gout and pseudogout are inflammatory joint conditions, with gout being one of the most prevalent etiologies of chronic inflammatory arthritis in the United States. The patient population in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) has a distinct demographic profile that warrants the exploration of various health conditions. The primary objective of this study was to expand the knowledge of orthopedics and determine if there were demographic disparities between gout and pseudogout in this community. We hypothesized that there would be demographic disparities between gout and pseudogout depending on age, sex, and ethnicity. Methods This was a retrospective chart review, and data was gathered from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) UTHealth electronic database from January 1, 2017, to January 1, 2024. We collected and analyzed medical charts of individuals who were diagnosed with gout or pseudogout using the International Classification of Diseases version 10 (ICD-10) diagnosis codes M10 for gout and M11.2 for pseudogout. Patients' characteristics were described by gout status using frequency (n) and percentage (%) for categorical variables. Results Individuals in age groups 40-65 years and greater than or equal to 65 years compared to patients aged less than 40 years old had significantly higher odds of having gout versus no gout. Women compared to men had 88% lower odds of having gout compared to no gout (odds ratio {OR}=0.12; 95% confidence interval {CI}: 0.08, 0.17; p<0.0001) and 83% lower odds of having gout compared to pseudogout (OR=0.17; 95% CI: 0.08, 0.39; p<0.0001). Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, compared to non-Hispanic and non-Latino ethnicity, had significantly lower odds of gout (OR=0.32; 95% CI: 0.23, 0.45; p<0.0001) and pseudogout (OR=0.30; 95% CI: 0.14, 0.65; p<0.0001) compared to no gout. Individuals classified as overweight or obese compared to normal-BMI patients had significantly higher odds of having gout compared to patients with no gout. Marital status was the only difference between univariable and multivariable analysis and was not significantly associated with gout status according to the multivariable model. Conclusion Individuals of various demographics in the underserved RGV community, and possibly demographically similar communities, may be at increased risk for gout or pseudogout. This warrants further research on these conditions in this region to further improve the knowledge and possibly prevent the numerous effects of these conditions on an individual's quality of life.