Medical Conditions Codexery

Gout

Inflammatory arthritis from uric acid crystal deposition.

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Gout is a form of inflammatory arthritis caused by needle-shaped monosodium urate crystals depositing in a joint.[1] Pain typically reaches maximal intensity within 12 hours, and the joint at the base of the big toe is affected in about half of cases.[1][2] Deposits of uric acid crystals, known as tophi, along with kidney stones and impaired kidney function, are possible complications of gout.[2]

Key facts and history

Persistently high blood levels of uric acid (hyperuricemia) cause gout, as the urate crystallizes and settles in joints and tendons.[3] Dietary habits, concurrent medical conditions, and hereditary influences all contribute to the development of hyperuricemia.[3] The ancient Egyptians were already aware of gout, as it has been documented from their era.[4] Around 1200 AD, the word "gout" first appeared in English, originating from the Latin "gutta," which translates to "a drop."[5]

In 1679, the microscopic appearance of urate crystals was initially documented by the Dutch scientist Antonie van Leeuwenhoek.[6] In developed nations, roughly 1–2% of adults will experience gout at some stage in their lives.[7] The prevalence of gout has risen in recent years, a trend attributed to growing risk factors like metabolic syndrome and shifts in dietary patterns.[7] Historically, gout earned the nickname "the disease of kings" because of its link to indulgent diets and being overweight.[7]

What the research sources say

The recurrence of gout attacks is also linked to weather, with high ambient temperature and low relative humidity increasing risk.[8] Data from a 2015 Singapore study involving 52,322 participants aged 45–74 revealed 2,117 cases of gout, a prevalence of about 4.1%.[9] A government-conducted survey in Hong Kong reported that 5.1% of residents aged 45–59 and 6.1% of those over 60 suffer from gout.[9] Sleep apnea can be a secondary cause of gout, as cells starved of oxygen release purines that raise uric acid levels.[10]

Addressing sleep apnea through treatment can reduce the frequency of gout attacks.[11]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Gout" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Gout Definition of Gout by Lexico", Lexico Dictionaries English; Hui, "The British Society for Rheumatology Guideline for the Management of Gout", Rheumatology, 26 May 2017, p. e1–e20; Dalbeth, "Gout", Lancet, April 2016, p. 2039–2052; Abhishek, "Gout - a guide for the general and acute physicians.", Clinical Medicine, February 2017, p. 54–59; "Gout", Lancet, January 2010, p. 318–328 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Gout" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Schlesinger N, "Diagnosing and treating gout: a review to aid primary care physicians", Postgrad Med, March 2010, p. 157–161; "Definition of Podagra", www.merriam-webster.com; Dalbeth, "Gout", Lancet, April 2016, p. 2039–2052 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Gout" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Hui, "The British Society for Rheumatology Guideline for the Management of Gout", Rheumatology, 26 May 2017, p. e1–e20; "Gout", Lancet, January 2010, p. 318–328; Dalbeth, "Gout", Lancet, April 2016, p. 2039–2052; Hui, "The British Society for Rheumatology Guideline for the Management of Gout", Rheumatology, 26 May 2017, p. e1–e20; Dalbeth, "Gout", Lancet, April 2016, p. 2039–2052; Dalbeth, "Gout", Lancet, April 2016, p. 2039–2052; Beyl, "Update on Importance of Diet in Gout", The American Journal of Medicine, 2016, p. 1153–1158; Dalbeth, "Gout", L en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Gout" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Gout", Lancet, January 2010, p. 318–328 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Gout" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Pierre-Jerome, "The Essentials of Charcot Neuroarthropathy: Biomechanics, Pathophysiology, and MRI Findings", Elsevier, 11 May 2022, p. 233; Pillinger, "Hyperuricemia and gout: new insights into pathogenesis and treatment", Bulletin of the NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases, 2007, p. 215–221; "gout, n.1", Oxford English Dictionary, 1989 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Gout" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Pillinger, "Hyperuricemia and gout: new insights into pathogenesis and treatment", Bulletin of the NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases, 2007, p. 215–221; Storey, "Alfred Baring Garrod (1819–1907)", Rheumatology, October 2001, p. 1189–1190 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Gout" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Gout", Lancet, January 2010, p. 318–328; Dalbeth, "Gout", Lancet, April 2016, p. 2039–2052; "Gout", Lancet, January 2010, p. 318–328; Dalbeth, "Gout", Lancet, April 2016, p. 2039–2052; "Gout", Lancet, January 2010, p. 318–328; "Rich Man's Disease – definition of Rich Man's Disease in the Medical dictionary", Free Online Medical Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  8. Wikipedia, "Gout" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Neogi, "Relation of Temperature and Humidity to the Risk of Recurrent Gout Attacks", American Journal of Epidemiology, 15 August 2014, p. 372–377 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  9. Wikipedia, "Gout" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Kuo, "Global epidemiology of gout: prevalence, incidence and risk factors", Nature Reviews Rheumatology, 2015-07-07, p. 649–662 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  10. Wikipedia, "Gout" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Fructose intake and risk of gout and hyperuricemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies", BMJ Open, October 2016; Beyl, "Update on Importance of Diet in Gout", The American Journal of Medicine, 2016, p. 1153–1158; Beyl, "Update on Importance of Diet in Gout", The American Journal of Medicine, 2016, p. 1153–1158; Bitik, "An old disease with new insights: Update on diagnosis and treatment of gout", European Journal of Rheumatology, June 2014, p. 72–77 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  11. Wikipedia, "Gout" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Abrams, "Sleep Apnea as a Cause of Gout Flares", The Medscape Journal of Medicine, 2009, p. 3 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Gout (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

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Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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