Adults are more prone to gout than children and youngsters. Those between the ages of 40-50 have more chance and these conditions are rare in women before menopause. It is estimated that around 840 individuals in 100,000 possess gout.
Causes of gout
There are many risk factors associated with gout and hyperuricemia. It includes:
- Familial history analysis showed that there are some genetic factors behind the disease and around eighteen percent of people with gout have a familial background of the condition.
- Men are more susceptible to gout than women. This shows that age and gender are some of the factors controlling gout.
- Individuals with body mass index or BMI over 30 have high risk of hyperuricemia. This is due to due to the increase in cells that result in high production of uric acid. This results in accumulation of product in blood and leads to formation of crystals.
- Consumption of high level of alcohol can also interfere in removal of uric acid in the body. This leads to hyperuricemia and to gout.
- Certain foods are rich in purines and including such items in diet can lead to gout.
- Like all body metabolic activities purine catabolism is also regulated by some specific enzymes. Overproduction of the enzyme can lead to overproduction of uric acid leading to hyperuricemia.
- Presence of lead can also influence in developing gout. So exposure to lead can cause the disease.
There are some other factors that contribute in developing gout. Some medicines are responsible for this condition. Those are:
- To prevent the loss of excess fluids and water from body, certain medicines are used. These are known as diuretics. This acts by hindering the filtration process of kidney and will result in blocking the removal of uric acid.
- Salicylic acid derived anti inflammatory drugs
- Nicotinic acid or Vitamin – Niacin
- During organ transplantation, certain medicines like cyclosporine are given to suppress immune response of body. This can result in hyperuricemia.
- Medicine used in treatment of Parkinson’s disease can cause gout.
Gout Treatment
If treated in the initial stage, gout is a curable disease. The symptoms can be controlled with one or combination of treatments
Use of non-steroidal anti inflammatory drugs (NSAID) and corticosteroids can reduce inflammation and pain. drugs usually given as anti inflammatory drugs are indomethacin and naproxen. In some cases, NSAID may not be active and the doctor may suggest colchicines.
Another way is to control the diet and do proper exercise to prevent obesity. Excluding purine rich foods are also necessary to prevent hyperuricemia. |
