Gout Causes and Risk Factors

Arthritis, Healthy Aging, Healthy Living
on June 27, 2011

Gout is considered the most common form of arthritis for men and is one of the most common overall. This type of arthritis is characterized by inflammation and severe pain in one or more joints; depending on the stage, this inflammation may last for several hours or may persist indefinitely. If left untreated or unaddressed, gout can worsen to the point of severely impacting quality of life and may even be crippling. Many treatments and lifestyle changes, however, may help alleviate the pain of gouty attacks, and that may help lower the levels of uric acid in the blood.

Causes of gout. The cause of gout is high levels of uric acid in the blood, which leads to the formation of uric acid crystals in one or more joints. Exactly what triggers this high level of uric acid isn’t always known, but it may be attributed to lifestyle choices (consistent overindulgence in high-purine food), metabolic issues or kidney dysfunction that prevents the uric acid from being filtered out and secreted through the urine.

Gout risk factors. According to the National Library of Medicine, “Gout may run in families. It is more common in males, postmenopausal women and people who drink alcohol.” Gout is also more common in people who have chronic issues such as diabetes or high cholesterol or who are obese or overweight. In addition, rapid weight loss may result in too much uric acid being dumped into the bloodstream at one time, which may trigger a gouty attack.

Lifestyle changes with gout. Anyone who has had a gouty attack is at a very high risk for having another one. It is very important to avoid purine-rich foods (organ meats, sardines, asparagus), which produce a lot of uric acid when it’s broken down. Proper fluid intake and regular exercise are extremely important, but fad diets should be avoided because these can cause very rapid weight loss followed by regain. Exercise will help tone the muscles around the afflicted joints, which can help take the stress off of them, reducing inflammation in future attacks.