subject: Gout Risk Factors: Who Is At Risk of Gout? [print this page] Gout Risk Factors: Who Is At Risk of Gout?
Are you at risk of gout? Here, I've listedkey gout risk factors so that youcan see how much youmay beat risk
Hyperuricea the condition where there are high uric acid levels in the body is a leading cause of gout. Around 70% of people who suffer from gout produce too much uric acid, whilst about 30% can't eliminate it from their systemseffectively enough.
So what are the things that can give rise to high uric acid in people?
Lifestyle Issues
1. Your Diet
Foods contain compounds called purines' that, when they breakdown during your normal metabolizing process, produce uric acid. And some foods are higher in purines than others. If your diet is high in purines (as western diets tend to be) then your uric acid levels can be elevated.
2. Too Much Alcohol
Alcohol beer in particular is known to produce hyperuricemia because of it's ability to hamper the normal removal of uric acid from the body. It is believed that, on average, 2 drinks per day for men and1 drink a day for women, can lead to hyperuricemia.
3. Being Overweight
Someone who is overweight has a higher risk of hyperuricemia, simply because there is more tissue to be broken down. The human body also contains purines, so that when these breakdown uric acid is produced, therefore the more tissue to breakdown, the more uric acid produced. The risk exists if you are 30 pounds or more above your model weight.
Other gout risk factors are
Family History
There is research that suggests that 1 out of 4 gout sufferers has a family history of gout. So, if you have a family history of gout or arthritis because gout accounts for around 5% of arthritis cases then you have a higher risk of gout than someone who hasn't such a history.
Medical Conditions / Medications
Some medical conditions can help to increase your gout risk. These are conditions such as; diabetes, high cholesterol, narrowing of the arteries, high blood pressure, and chemotherapy which can release a lot of uric acid into the bloodstream.
And some medications can also increaseyour gout risk, e.g. medications for high blood pressure, diuretics, niacin (vitamin), cyclosporine (immuno-suppressant), levodopa (for Parkinson's disease), meds that use salicylic acid (e.g. aspirin), and so on.
Age and Sex
Gout affects men more than women, becausemen usually have higher uric acid levels in their bodies compared to women anyway. On average, men seem to get gout between the ages of 30 and 50.
Womendon't usually start getting gout until they are over 50. It is believed that this happens because a woman's uric acid levels naturally rise after the menopause.
Relatively very few gout cases have been diagnosed in children and young adults.
By knowing and understanding the risk factors leading to gout, you are now better able to help yourself prevent gout attacks in the future. Please now look around this website for more information on symptoms, causes and treatment options.
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