Table 1.

Main baseline characteristics of patients

Variables		Rural area (n=49)	Urban area (n=462)	p

Age (years), mean ± SD		60±12.05	56±10.63	0.001
Sex	Men	34	381	<0.001
	Women	15	81
Obesity		24	297	0.01
Arthritis		16	182	0.001
Tophi		9	183	0.01
Presentation at diagnosis	Acute gout	25	230	<0.001
	Chronic gout	24	232	<0.001
Clinical presentation, n	Monoarticular	25	230	<0.001
	Oligoarticular	22	173	<0.001
	Polyarticular	2	59	0.12
Fever, n		2	19	0.21
Elevated uric acid levels, n		26	231	<0.001
Serum uric acid, mean ± SD, mg/dL (μmol/L)		84.68±3.22	82.21±1.07	<0.001
MSU cristal (synovial fluid)^†, n		2	20	0.21
Acute phase reactants, n	Elevated CRP	13	151	<0.001
	Elevated ESR	28	223	<0.001
Urate arthropathies, n^‡		6	62	<0.001