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Association between non-optimal temperature and hospitalizations for gout in Anqing, China: a time-series analysis

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Abstract

Previous studies have found that non-optimal temperature influences the development of gout, but the results have been inconsistent. The present study aimed to explore the effects of high temperature and high temperature variation on hospitalizations for gout in Anqing, China. We collected daily data on air pollutants, meteorological factors, and hospitalizations for gout between 1January 2016 and 31 December 2020 in Anqing City, China. We used Poisson generalized linear regression model and a distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) to explore the relationship of high temperature, diurnal temperature range (DTR), and temperature change between neighboring days (TCN) with hospitalizations for gout. Stratified analysis by gender (male, female) and age (<65 years, ≥65 years) was conducted. Hospitalizations for gout attributed to high temperature, high DTR, and high TCN were also quantified. A total of 8675 hospitalized patients with gout were reported during the study period. We observed that exposure to high temperature was linked with an increased risk of hospitalizations for gout (lag 0, RR: 1.081, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.011, 1.155). Exposure to high DTR was also associated with increased risk of hospitalizations for gout (lag9, RR: 1.017, 95% CI: 1.001,1.035). A large drop in temperature between neighboring days was associated an increased risk of hospitalizations for gout (lag 0–2 days, RR: 1.234, 95% CI: 1.017, 1.493). Stratified analysis results revealed that older adults and men were more sensitive to high-level DTR exposure than their counterparts. Nearly 15% of hospitalizations for gout could be attributable to high temperature (attributable fraction: 14.93%, 95% CI: 5.99%, 22.11%). This study suggests that high temperature and high temperature variation may trigger hospitalizations for gout, indicating that patients with gout need to take proactive actions in the face of days with non-optimal temperature.

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Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Abbreviations

CO:

carbon monoxide

CI:

confidence interval

DLNM:

distributed lag non-linear model

DTR:

diurnal temperature range

NO2 :

nitrogen dioxide O3: ozone

PGLM:

Poisson generalized linear model

PM10 :

particulate matter 10

PM2.5 :

particulate matter 2.5

Q-AIC:

quasi-Poisson Akaike Information Criterion

RR:

relative risk

SO2 :

sulfur dioxide

TCN:

temperature change between neighboring days

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Acknowledgements

We appreciate the efforts of all the researchers whose articles were included in this study.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Yi-Sheng He, Gui-Hong Wang and Zheng-Dong Wu contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, China

    Yi-Sheng He, Zheng-Dong Wu, Yue Chen, Xin-Yu Fang & Hai-Feng Pan

  2. Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, China

    Yi-Sheng He, Zheng-Dong Wu, Yue Chen, Xin-Yu Fang & Hai-Feng Pan

  3. Department of Rheumatology, Anqing Hospital Affiliated to Anhui Medical University, Anqing, Anhui, China

    Gui-Hong Wang

  4. Department of Medical Research and Innovation, School of Medicine, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana

    Napoleon Bellua Sam

  5. Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China

    Jin-Hui Tao

  6. School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia

    Zhiwei Xu

Authors
  1. Yi-Sheng He
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  2. Gui-Hong Wang
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  4. Napoleon Bellua Sam
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  5. Yue Chen
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  6. Jin-Hui Tao
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  7. Xin-Yu Fang
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  8. Zhiwei Xu
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  9. Hai-Feng Pan
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Conceptualization: Hai-Feng Pan and Zhiwei Xu. Literature search by Napoleon Bellua Sam and Yue Chen. Data analysis by Jin-Hui Tao and Xin-Yu Fang. The first draft and editing of the manuscript were performed by Yi-Sheng He, Gui-Hong Wang, Zheng-Dong Wu, and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Zhiwei Xu or Hai-Feng Pan.

Ethics declarations

Ethics approval and consent to participate

This study was approved by the Ethical Committee of Anhui Medical University (Hefei, Anhui, China).

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Not applicable (This study did not contain any individual person’s data in any form).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no competing interests.

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Responsible editor: Lotfi Aleya

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He, YS., Wang, GH., Wu, ZD. et al. Association between non-optimal temperature and hospitalizations for gout in Anqing, China: a time-series analysis. Environ Sci Pollut Res 29, 13797–13804 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-16580-w

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-16580-w

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