Risk of incident benign prostatic hyperplasia in patients with gout: a retrospective cohort study

Background This retrospective cohort study evaluated the association between gout and the risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia among men by using data from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database. Methods Population-based representative insurance (outpatient and inpatient) claims data of 29,269 patients with gout and 29,269 matched patients without gout (1:1 ratio) for the period of 1997–2010 in Taiwan were identified. The association between gout and benign prostatic hyperplasia was evaluated using the Cox proportional hazards model. The associations of age by gout and gout phenotypes with benign prostatic hyperplasia risk were estimated. Results Patients with gout had a higher incidence rate of benign prostatic hyperplasia than those in the matched gout-free group (19.62 vs. 10.11 events per 1000 person-years). Compared with the gout-free group, the adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) (95% confidence intervals (CIs)) for benign prostatic hyperplasia were 1.30 (1.24–1.36). The gout-to-benign prostatic hyperplasia association was modified by age ( P interaction