Long‐Term Opioids in Gout: A Matched Cohort Study From the Veterans Health Administration
Main finding · Long-term opioid receiptResult — go to the resultAdjusted hazard ratio 1.30 95% CI 1.28–1.32Authors' conclusion
Patients with gout are more likely to receive long-term opioids than counterparts without gout, independent of other factors. This risk is greater in underrepresented gout populations, those with greater comorbidity, patients requiring rheumatology consultations, and individuals prescribed urate-lowering treatments.
Study context
- Population
- National Veterans Health Administration data: patients with gout and matched controls without goutmean follow-up 4.52 years
- Exposure
- Gout vs matched controls without gout
- Outcome
- Long-term opioid receipt (validated administrative algorithm)
Methodological detailsmatched with up to 10 controls by age, sex and Veterans Health Administration (VHA) enrollment year, multivariable Cox regression
- Matched with up to 10 controls by age, sex and VHA enrollment year
- Multivariable Cox regression
Main finding
Long-term opioid receipt · mean follow-up 4.52 years
Adjusted hazard ratio
1.30
95% CI 1.28–1.32
By group
Goutvs Controls
aHR 1.30 (95% CI 1.28–1.32)
As reported in the abstract
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Factors associated with long-term opioid exposure among patients with gout
- Independently associated with increased likelihood: more recent index year, younger age, female sex, non-Hispanic Black race and ethnicity, rural residence, underweight or obese, former or current smoking, greater comorbidity, ULT receipt, requirement of rheumatology consultation
Original publication
Long‐Term Opioids in Gout: A Matched Cohort Study From the Veterans Health Administration. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). Published 27 November 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →