“People with sleep apnea are at an increased risk of gout in both the short and long term. Since this risk was highest in people with normal body mass index, doctors and other health professionals should consider the possibility of gout in patients with sleep apnea regardless of body mass index,” study co-leader Edward Roddy said in a journal news release.

We spoke to experts at the sleep apnea center to try to gain an understanding on the reason for this increased risk. As it is understood, it would seem that new research has found that obstructive sleep apnea — a disorder in which breathing stops and starts during sleep — is associated with an increased risk for gout, a common cause of painful arthritis. Those with obstructive sleep apnea were more likely to develop gout.

Published: Journal Arthritis & Rheumatology – August 2018