Annals of the rheumatic diseases
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We report on a workshop on ethical and legal constraints on data sharing between countries in multinational epidemiologic research in Europe that was held in January 2007 in Potsdam, Germany. The participants were experienced epidemiologic and clinical researchers from eight European countries. The aim of the workshop was to share current knowledge on the above-mentioned topics, to identify areas for joint action and to enhance the likelihood of success for the new funding programmes. ⋯ Epidemiologic and clinical studies are increasingly planned and conducted on a European level, and funds are available for this kind of studies. However, data sharing in multi-centre clinical and epidemiological studies is hampered by the different legal and ethical constraints individual national researchers face.
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To investigate and compare the prevalence, comorbidities and management of gout in practice in the UK and Germany. ⋯ The prevalence of gout in practice in the UK and Germany in the years 2000-5 was 1.4%, consistent with previous UK data for 1990-9. Chronic comorbidities were common among patients with gout and included conditions associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, such as obesity, diabetes and hypertension. The importance of regular monitoring of sUA in order to tailor gout treatment was highlighted by data from this study showing that patients with sUA levels >or=360 micromol/l (>or=6 mg/dl) had an increased risk of gout flares.