Who is at Risk of Developing Gouty Arthritis?
Gout is roughly 9 times more common in men than wonen and is most
common in middle-aged men. It is strongly associated with being
overweight and having high blood pressure. Gout can also occur in wonen,
more commonly after menopause.
Maori and Pacific Islander peoples tend to have high uric acid levels
and are predisposed to gout. In Australia, the type of individual most
commonly affected by gout is an overweight man who drinks large amounts
of alcohol, is a regular meat-eater and who may have high cholesterol
and high blood pressure.
Risk Factors for Developing Gout
Uric acid is a by-product of the breakdown of certain foods in the body,
and gout was once considered to be closely related to diet. It is now
understood that inheriting it is the most common reason for gout to
occur.
Certain medications, such as sone types of diuretics, can also cause
gout. Aspirin and niacin can also raise uric acid levels. Also, certain
diseases can lead to an excessive production of uric acid in the body,
including sone leukaemias, lymphomas and sone haemoglobin disorders.
Sone studies have indicated an increased prevalence of abnormally low
thyroid hormone levels (called hypothyroidism) in people with gout.
Aggravating factors
There are a number of conditions that can cause acute attacks of gout. These include:
dehydration;
injury to a joint;
excessive intake of purine-containing foods;
sudden starvation;
heavy alcohol intake; and
recent surgery (this may be related to changes in the body fluid balance
because of fasting before surgery).