Greg Hannoosh's battle with gout began 10 years ago with a severe pain in his foot in the middle of the night.
"I remember waking up in the night with soreness and pain in my right foot," said 51-year-old Hannoosh of West Newbury, Mass. "The pressure from my sheets was even causing pain."
The next morning, Hannoosh recalled, "The pain had spread [from my right toe] to the point that my whole foot was not useable. I couldn't walk and couldn't wear shoes. It was pretty debilitating."
Hannoosh saw his doctor, and lab tests revealed high levels of uric acid in his blood. The bad news followed -- doctors diagnosed him with gout, an incapacitating condition in which crystal forms within the joints, causing inflammation and pain.
In gout, the pain is not constant, but rather presents in episodes called gout attacks -- a fitting term, according to Hannoosh.
"They called it a gout attack because it is just like an attack; you are being invaded," he said.
Now, new research suggests more and more Americans may be sharing Hannoosh's struggle against the pain of gout. A new study published Thursday in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism reveals that the prevalence of gout in the United States has risen over the last 20 years and now affects 8.3 million Americans -- compared to just 6.1 million two decades ago.
The study was supported by Takeda, the pharmaceutical company that makes the gout drug Uloric. Researchers compared data collected from a survey of Americans in the latest U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between the periods of 2007-2008 to a previous NHANES surveys conducted in 1988-1994. When the study took into account factors such as obesity or hypertension away from the results, the numbers of people with gout lessened -- a hint that lifestyle choices may be at least part of the problem.
"The burden of gout and hyperuricemia continues to be substantial in the U.S. population," said lead study researcher Dr. Hyon Choi, a rheumatologist and professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine.
"The prevalence of gout rose from 2.7 percent two decades ago to an increase of 3.9 percent. Although that seems like a small number, it is actually a 44 percent increase," Choi said. "Obesity and hypertension are main contributing factors."
But though obesity and hypertension may be contributing factors, they are not the only factors involved. High uric acid blood levels, diabetes, high cholesterol, dehydration, alcohol intake, a high-protein diet and the side effects of certain medications such as diuretics can add to a person's risk. Genetics can also play a role.
"Certainly a key take away [from this study] is that many patients with gout have multiple other conditions, such as obesity, hypertension, kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, coronary disease or metabolic syndrome, which must be considered in the management of gout," said Dr. Theodore Fields, rheumatologist at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.
"The public needs to realize that this is one more nail in the coffin about the importance of obesity and cardiovascular disease." said Dr. Eric Gall, rheumatologist and director of the Arizona Arthritis Center in Tucson."They need to also know that the treatment for gout is not just lowering the uric acid but also paying attention to diet and exercise."
For Hannoosh, treatment meant going off of his blood pressure medication, as doctors believe it may have contributed his gout. And he made lifestyle changes as well.
"I don't drink beer anymore and don't eat near as much red meat as I used to," he said. "I also drink a lot more water than I did before."
The measures may be working; Hannoosh said his last gout attack was about two and a half years ago.
By MERCY EDIONWE, M.D.
July 28, 2011
Showing posts with label gout diet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gout diet. Show all posts
Monday, August 22, 2011
Monday, December 13, 2010
Is Gout Prevention Possible?
Is Gout Prevention Possible?
You can't always control whether you get gout, but you can make diet and lifestyle changes to lessen your risk. Start taking gout prevention steps today. What can you do for gout prevention? "There are a number of risk factors for gout, some of them modifiable, some of them less modifiable," says Daniel Solomon, MD, MPH, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and physician in the rheumatology, immunology, and allergy department at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.
Gout develops in people who have high levels of uric acid, produced when the body breaks down substances called purines, which are found in many foods, particularly meat and seafood. Excess uric acid can form sharp, needle-like crystals in the joints, leading to pain and swelling.
While some people will develop gout no matter what they do, there are some lifestyle and diet factors that can cause high uric acid levels. Researchers have identified a number of gout prevention strategies to help reduce your risk of developing gout or, if you already have gout, lower your chances of having a severe gout attack in the future.
Gout Prevention: Know Your Risk Factors
When it comes to gout prevention, scientists still don't know how much control people have over their risk of developing gout. "Gout is related to genes, environmental [influences], and gender," says Dr. Solomon. There seems to be a genetic component since gout sometimes runs in families. Also, men are at higher risk of developing gout than women. And the risk of gout increases with age.
But researchers have identified a number of gout risk factors that you can work to control:
Purine-rich diet
Excess weight
Excessive alcohol consumption
High cholesterol
Diabetes
High blood pressure
Certain medications, including some diuretics, niacin (a B vitamin), low-dose aspirin, cyclosporine, and several cancer drugs
There's more content below this advertisement. Jump to the content.
Gout Prevention Strategies
If you are looking for ways to reduce your risk of developing gout, try the following:
Limit purines in your diet. Hyon Choi, MD, DrPH, clinical associate professor of medicine in the rheumatology section at Boston University School of Medicine, says reducing the amount of purine-rich foods in your diet can lower your chances of developing gout. Eat less salmon, herring, sardines, organ meats, mushrooms, and asparagus.Reduce the red meat and seafood in your diet. In his research on gout risk factors, Dr. Choi and his colleagues found that people who had more red meat and seafood in their diet were at higher risk of developing gout.Eat more dairy. Choi also looked into how dairy products affected patients’ gout risk. "Dairy products — particularly low-fat dairy products like skim milk or yogurt — reduced the risk of gout," says Choi. For gout prevention, your daily diet should include the equivalent of two or more cups of milk.Watch what you drink. "Coffee, including decaffeinated coffee, was associated with a lower risk of gout," Choi says. On the other hand, people who drink more alcoholic beverages, especially beer, are more likely to develop gout. Choi says that drinks sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup are also associated with an increased risk of gout.Take your vitamin C. "Vitamin C tablets — 500 milligrams per day — decrease the risk of gout," Choi says. That extra vitamin C will cause you to excrete uric acid through your urine.Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight is a risk factor for the development of gout, so aim to maintain a healthy weight.Control medical problems. Since high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and other health problems are associated with an increased risk of gout, follow your doctor's instructions to keep these conditions under control.Consider switching medications. If you are taking a medication associated with increased gout risk, ask your doctor if switching to another drug is an option for you. If you are concerned about your gout risk, talk with your doctor. The earlier you start treatment, the sooner your pain will be under control.
By Krisha McCoy, MS
Medically reviewed by Lindsey Marcellin, MD, MPH
You can't always control whether you get gout, but you can make diet and lifestyle changes to lessen your risk. Start taking gout prevention steps today. What can you do for gout prevention? "There are a number of risk factors for gout, some of them modifiable, some of them less modifiable," says Daniel Solomon, MD, MPH, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and physician in the rheumatology, immunology, and allergy department at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.
Gout develops in people who have high levels of uric acid, produced when the body breaks down substances called purines, which are found in many foods, particularly meat and seafood. Excess uric acid can form sharp, needle-like crystals in the joints, leading to pain and swelling.
While some people will develop gout no matter what they do, there are some lifestyle and diet factors that can cause high uric acid levels. Researchers have identified a number of gout prevention strategies to help reduce your risk of developing gout or, if you already have gout, lower your chances of having a severe gout attack in the future.
Gout Prevention: Know Your Risk Factors
When it comes to gout prevention, scientists still don't know how much control people have over their risk of developing gout. "Gout is related to genes, environmental [influences], and gender," says Dr. Solomon. There seems to be a genetic component since gout sometimes runs in families. Also, men are at higher risk of developing gout than women. And the risk of gout increases with age.
But researchers have identified a number of gout risk factors that you can work to control:
Purine-rich diet
Excess weight
Excessive alcohol consumption
High cholesterol
Diabetes
High blood pressure
Certain medications, including some diuretics, niacin (a B vitamin), low-dose aspirin, cyclosporine, and several cancer drugs
There's more content below this advertisement. Jump to the content.
Gout Prevention Strategies
If you are looking for ways to reduce your risk of developing gout, try the following:
Limit purines in your diet. Hyon Choi, MD, DrPH, clinical associate professor of medicine in the rheumatology section at Boston University School of Medicine, says reducing the amount of purine-rich foods in your diet can lower your chances of developing gout. Eat less salmon, herring, sardines, organ meats, mushrooms, and asparagus.Reduce the red meat and seafood in your diet. In his research on gout risk factors, Dr. Choi and his colleagues found that people who had more red meat and seafood in their diet were at higher risk of developing gout.Eat more dairy. Choi also looked into how dairy products affected patients’ gout risk. "Dairy products — particularly low-fat dairy products like skim milk or yogurt — reduced the risk of gout," says Choi. For gout prevention, your daily diet should include the equivalent of two or more cups of milk.Watch what you drink. "Coffee, including decaffeinated coffee, was associated with a lower risk of gout," Choi says. On the other hand, people who drink more alcoholic beverages, especially beer, are more likely to develop gout. Choi says that drinks sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup are also associated with an increased risk of gout.Take your vitamin C. "Vitamin C tablets — 500 milligrams per day — decrease the risk of gout," Choi says. That extra vitamin C will cause you to excrete uric acid through your urine.Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight is a risk factor for the development of gout, so aim to maintain a healthy weight.Control medical problems. Since high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and other health problems are associated with an increased risk of gout, follow your doctor's instructions to keep these conditions under control.Consider switching medications. If you are taking a medication associated with increased gout risk, ask your doctor if switching to another drug is an option for you. If you are concerned about your gout risk, talk with your doctor. The earlier you start treatment, the sooner your pain will be under control.
By Krisha McCoy, MS
Medically reviewed by Lindsey Marcellin, MD, MPH
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