Table 1 Baseline characteristics for all patients, and patients with and without a flare (percentage or mean with standard deviation (SD)

Age (years)

211

56.4 (13.7)

56.3 (13.8)

57.6 (13.2)

0.52

56.8 (13.9)

57.1 (12.9)

0.88

Male

201/211

95.3%

96.6%

92.9%

0.30

93.8%

97.8%

0.45

Caucasian

183/202

90.6%

89.5%

92.4%

0.51

92.0%

86.0%

0.25

Disease duration (years)

204

7.8 (7.6)

7.4 (6.8)

9.6 (9.3)

0.10

8.1 (8.2)

8.8 (6.3)

0.62

College education

118/206

57.3%

61.7%

58.2%

0.64

58.3%

66.7%

0.34

Married/cohabiting

155/208

74.5%

76.7%

77.6%

0.89

76.4%

76.7%

0.96

Working

133/208

63.9%

69.8%

61.2%

0.23

64.1%

73.8%

0.25

Body mass index (kg/m²)

211

28.8 (4.5)

28.5 (4.6)

29.7 (4.6)

0.09

29.2 (4.5)

28.1 (4.7)

0.18

Co-morbidities (SCQ sum)

210

3.7 (3.2)

3.3 (1.1)

4.5 (3.4)

0.013

3.7 (3.3)

3.8 (3.4)

0.91

Physical activity ≥ 3 times weekly

163/207

30.4%

36.8%

26.5%

0.15

29.1%

41.9%

0.12

Smoking, daily

23/208

11.1%

10.3%

4.5%

0.16

10.9%

2.4%

0.12

Alcohol consumption at least weekly

128/207

61.8%

61.2%

62.1%

0.90

63.0

57.1%

0.61

Sugar sweetened drinks daily

80/207

38.6%

40.5%

33.3%

0.34

38.6%

38.1%

0.96

≥ 1 subcutaneous tophus present

35/211

16.6%

12.1%

24.3%

0.017

14.1%

22.2%

0.20

Allopurinol use ever

31/211

14.7%

13.8%

14.3%

0.92

14.8%

6.7%

0.16

NSAID use ever

160/205

78.0%

74.3%

88.1%

0.028

77.6%

86.0%

0.23

Colchicine use ever

107/201

53.2%

43.8%

67.7%

0.002

50.4%

56.1%

0.53

Prednisolone use ever

91/199

45.7%

47.3%

53.1%

0.46

45.1%

52.4%

0.41

Baseline SUA (μmol/L)

211

500 (77)

491 (81)

510 (78)

0.12

496 (81)

504 (81)

0.58

ESR (mm/h)

199

14 (14)

14 (13)

15 (15)

0.46

14 (14)

17 (15)

0.21

Creatinine (μmol/L)

211

96 (18)

96 (17)

96 (19)

0.90

95 (17)

99 (20)

0.11

eGFR (ml/min. per 1.73 m²)

210

78 (19)

78 (18)

77 (18)

0.71

78 (18)

75 (18)

0.27

Previous flares

0.042

0.10

 0

16

7.7%

6.0%

9.0%

7.8%

7.1%

 1

25

12.0%

16.4%

3.0%

12.5%

2.4%

 2-5

65

31.3%

29.3%

28.4%

32.0%

23.8%

 > 5

102

49.0%

48.3%

49.7%

47.7%

66.7%

Previous flares during last 12 months

151/206

73.4%

73.7%

77.6%

0.38

69.3%

90.5%

0.053

Strongest joint pain ever (0–10)

208

8.4 (1.6)

8.1 (1.6)

8.7 (1.4)

0.013

8.2 (1.6)

8.7 (1.1)

0.051

Joint pain last flare (0–10)

207

7.5 (5.5)

7.1 (2.0)

7.1 (2.1)

0.96

7.1 (2.1)

7.3 (1.9)

0.51

Swollen joint present

72/209

34.4%

33.8%

37.7%

0.60

31.0%

44.4%

0.10

Tender joint present

110/210

52.4%

47.8%

62.3%

0.06

50.0%

57.0%

0.37

Health assessment questionnaire (0–3)

209

0.38 (0.57)

0.33 (0.58)

0.41 (0.44)

0.35

0.34 (0.54)

0.43 (0.69)

0.35

SF-36 physical component summary (0–100)

204

39 (11)

40 (11)

36 (10)

0.006

40 (10)

37 (12)

0.21

SF-36 mental component summary (0–100)

204

50 (10)

50 (10)

50 (10)

0.91

51 (10)

49 (10)

0.31

Self-efficacy pain (10–100)

209

65 (19)

68 (19)

61 (20)

0.015

65 (19)

64 (21)

0.69

Self-efficacy symptoms (10–100)

205

72 (15)

73 (17)

72 (18)

0.51

73 (17)

72 (15)

0.84

 Necessity subscale (5–25)

198

17.9 (4.4)

16.8 (4.2)

17.2 (4.5)

0.54

16.8 (4.3)

17.0 (4.6)

0.99

 Concerns subscale (5–25)

197

13.4 (4.9)

12.8 (4.5)

14.2 (4.1)

0.053

13.3 (4.5)

14.0 (4.1)

0.30

 Overuse subscale (4–16)

203

10.6 (2.8)

10.5 (2.9)

10.7 (2.5)

0.57

10.6 (2.8)

10.8 (2.7)

0.57

 Harm subscale (4–16)

203

9.4 (2.4)

9.3 (2.5)

9.5 (2.3)

0.68

9.4 (2.5)

9.5 (2.1)

0.66

Ultrasound sum score

209

20.0 (13.9)

17.4 (12.0)

23.7 (15.6)

0.004

18.8 (13.0)

23.5 (14.0)

0.036

Dual energy computed tomography sum score

187

4.6 (6.4)

3.8 (6.0)

6.2 (7.0)

0.019

4.0 (5.9)

6.7 (7.5)

0.037