Medications

Commonly used gout drug found effective against COVID-19

An anti-inflammatory drug commonly used to treat gout could significantly improve outcomes in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 infections, according to research by a team led by University of Georgia professor Ralph ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

SGLT2i use linked to reduced risk for flare in adults with gout, T2D

For patients with gout and type 2 diabetes, sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) are associated with a reduced risk for recurrent gout flares and gout-primary emergency department visits and hospitalizations, ...

Neuroscience

History of gout tied to risk for BPPV, Meniere disease

A history of gout is associated with an increased risk for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and Meniere disease, according to a study published online Dec. 26 in the Journal of Clinical Medicine.

Arthritis & Rheumatism

Is metabolic syndrome a modifiable risk factor for gout?

In a study published in Arthritis & Rheumatology that included nearly 1.3 million men aged 20–39 years who participated in three serial health check-ups at two-year intervals, men with metabolic syndrome (MetS) and those ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Gout more prevalent among Black versus white US adults

Gout is more prevalent in adults self-reporting Black versus White race, but these differences are attenuated after full adjustment for all risk factors, according to a study published online Aug. 15 in JAMA Network Open.

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Gout

Gout (also known as podagra when it involves the big toe) is a medical condition usually characterized by recurrent attacks of acute inflammatory arthritis—a red, tender, hot, swollen joint. The metatarsal-phalangeal joint at the base of the big toe is the most commonly affected (approximately 50% of cases). However, it may also present as tophi, kidney stones, or urate nephropathy. It is caused by elevated levels of uric acid in the blood which crystallize and are deposited in joints, tendons, and surrounding tissues.

Diagnosis is confirmed clinically by the visualization of the characteristic crystals in joint fluid. Treatment with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), steroids, or colchicine improves symptoms. Once the acute attack has subsided, levels of uric acid are usually lowered via lifestyle changes, and in those with frequent attacks allopurinol or probenecid provide long-term prevention.

Gout has increased in frequency in recent decades affecting approximately one to two percent of the Western population at some point in their lives. The increase is believed to be due to increasing risk factors in the population, such as metabolic syndrome, longer life expectancy and changes in diet. Gout was historically known as "the disease of kings" or "rich man's disease".

This text uses material from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA