In a comparative study of a total of 7169 unselected patients of both sexes, that has been admitted as inpatients for rehabilitation reasons concerning rheumatic diseases, has been examined which differences result between 1988 und 1990 with respect to the prevalence of overweight of more than 20% in relation to the individual ideal weight and to impairment of the carbohydrate metabolism. Age structure, professions and social levels were comparable in both populations. In comparison with the large upward trend of the risk factor profile between 1976 and 1988 there was a slight but significant increase of the prevalence of overweight between 1988 und 1990 only for males (53.9% vs. 57.7%), whereas among females the prevalence showed an insignificant downward trend (67.9% vs. 66.6%). At the same time the prevalence of an impaired carbohydrate metabolism did not differ significantly (10.5% vs. 9.5%). There is evidence for a small success of public and medical efforts to improve public health.

Adult↗

PubMed1992

[First indications of decrease in the incidence of hyperuricemia in North Germany].

For the first time after onset of the economic miracle since 1948/49 the continuous considerable upward trend of the prevalence of hyperuricemia among the adult population in northern Germany seems to be stopped. In a comparative study of a total of 7169 unselected patients of both sexes, that has been admitted as inpatients for rehabilitation reasons predominantly concerning rheumatic diseases, has been examined which differences result between 1988 and 1990 with respect to the prevalence of hyperuricemia in relation to overweight. Age structure, professions and social levels were comparable in both populations. In comparison with the large upward trend of the risk factor profile between 1976 and 1988 the prevalence of hyperuricemia in males decreased significantly from an average of 17.9 per cent to 15.2 per cent. For females only an insignificant trend to a decrease of the prevalence of hyperuricemia (4.5 per cent vs. 4.2 per cent) was noted. In hyperuricemic males the prevalence of overweight of more than 20 per cent in relation to the individual ideal weight was significantly more frequent than in the whole male population (70.1 per cent vs. 57.7 per cent). Just as for obesity and diabetes mellitus the prevalence of hyperuricemia among the adult population in northern Germany appears to have culminated or crossed its summit. There is further evidence for a small success of public and medical efforts to improve public health. Of a total of 3584 patients who were investigated in 1990 1977 males showed a mean serum uric acid level of 5.71 +/- 1.62 mg/dl whereas in females the corresponding mean value was highly significantly less (4.22 +/- 1.06 mg/dl).

Adult↗

PubMed1992

[Changes in the epidemiology, symptomatology and prognosis of gout].

Hardly any other disorder in this century has been subject to such strong changes--referring to epidemiology and symptomatology--as was gout. These changes were all linked to fundamental social upheavals. In the past 4 decades effective medicamentous possibilities of treating hyperuricaemia and gout have been added. The clinical picture of gout is being obscured by many and partly indiscriminate beginnings of treatment of innocuous or symptomless hyperuricaemias that were found by accident on the occasion of a medical checkup; attacks of gout and classical gout-specific morphological degenerations have become rare in spite of a still increasing number of hyperuricaemias among the general population. For these reasons epidemiological inquiries about gout lack any solid foundation. It is rather appropriate to speak only of "potential" gout, of a constellation which--if untreated--would probably mean manifest gout sometime. Because of the numerous accompanying diseases which usually attack patients with gout and which mostly occur combined with other disorders (such as obesity, lesions of the liver and kidneys, high blood pressure, disorders of the lipoprotein and carbohydrate metabolism), those patients' life expectancy--if they are not treated--is limited anyway. Most of these accompanying diseases can contribute to the development of an early severe atherosclerosis the consequences of which do lead to the death of most of the untreated "cases". Today gout as an arthropathy can be considered to be overcome--punctual and correct medical treatment provided; also the numerous accompanying diseases are well treatable today.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Cross-Sectional Studies↗

PubMed1990

[Trends in the risk factor profile between 1976 and 1988].

In a comparative study of a total of 5740 unselected patients of both sexes, that had been admitted as inpatients for rehabilitation reasons concerning rheumatic diseases, it has been examined which differences result between 1976 and 1988 with respect to the prevalence of one or more of the following 5 diseases: diseases of the liver, arterial hypertension, disturbances of the lipid, uric acid or carbohydrate metabolism. Underlying were the same conditions and valuation standards. 2155 consecutively hospitalized patients in 1976 of a medium age of 53.75 +/- 10.89 years (standard deviation) were compared to 3585 patients with a medium age of 55.25 +/- 10.74 years in 1988. Age structure, professions and social levels were comparable in both populations. Whereas 1976 41.1% of the males and 27.9% of the females had one or more of the 5 diseases, this applied for 71.0% of the males and 59.5% of the females in 1988. Between 1976 and 1988 diseases of the liver, arterial hypertension, hyperlipoproteinemia and impairment of carbohydrate metabolism increased highly significant by 66%, 73%, 128% and 41%, respectively. Also hyperuricemia was found more frequently in 1988 among males than 1976 (17.9% vs. 14.2%), whereas among females the prevalence lowered significantly from 8.5% to 4.5% during this period. At the same time the prevalence of overweight of more than 20% of the ideal weight increased from 56.6% of the patients suffering from one or more of the 5 diseases in 1976 to 63.9% in 1988 significantly. Of a total of 3585 patients that was investigated in 1988 2395 patients (66.8%) had one or more of the additional diseases.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Cause of Death↗