Gout

What is gout ?

Gout is a kind of arthritis caused by uric acid crystals forming in one or more joints. Uric acid is a substance that forms when your body breaks down a substance called purines. This substance normally dissolves in your blood and passes through your kidneys into your urine. In people who have gout, uric acid builds up and can then form sharp crystals in the joint space. This causes pain and swelling in the affected joints.

Who can develop gout?
If you eat a lot of foods that are rich in purines, you may be at an increased risk for gout. Some of these foods are salmon, sardines, organ meats, asparagus, mushrooms and herring.

You are more likely to develop gout if you’re overweight, drink excessive amounts of alcohol or have high cholesterol, diabetes or high blood pressure. Men develop gout more often than women. Women are more likely to develop gout after menopause. Gout also tends to run in families (is hereditary).

Medicines that may cause gout include the following:

• Certain diuretics (“water pills”) used to treat high blood pressure

• Niacin (a B-complex vitamin)

• Aspirin (taken in low doses)

• Cyclosporine (brand names: Sandimmune, Neoral), which is used to prevent the body from rejecting a new organ after transplant surgery

• Some drugs used to treat cancer

• Pyrazinamide, which is used to treat tuberculosis

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