Gout Health Article

Expected results

Gout cannot be cured, but it can be managed successfully. Prompt attention to diet and reducing uric acid levels will rectify many of the problems associated with gout. Kidney problems can also be reversed or improved. Tophi can be dissolved or surgically removed, and with the tophi gone, joint mobility generally improves. Gout is generally more severe in those whose initial symptoms appear before age 30. The coexistence of hypertension, diabetes, or kidney disease can make for a much more serious condition.

Prevention

For centuries, gout has been known as the "rich man's disease," a disease of overindulgence in food and drink. While this view is perhaps oversimplified, lifestyle factors clearly influence a person's risk of developing gout. For example, losing weight and limiting alcohol intake can help ward off gout. Since purines are broken down into urates by the body, consumption of foods high in purine should be limited. Foods that are especially high in purines are red meat, organ meats, meat gravies, shellfish, sardines, anchovies, mushrooms, cooked spinach, rhubarb, yeast, asparagus, beer, and wine.

Dehydration promotes the formation of urate crystals, so people taking diuretics, or "water pills," may be better off switching to another type of blood pressure medication. Increased intake of fluids will dilute the urine and encourage excretion of uric acid. Therefore, six to eight glasses of water should be consumed daily, along with plenty of herbal teas and diluted fruit juices.

Consumption of saturated fats impedes uric acid excretion, and consumption of refined carbohydrates, such as sugar and white bread and pasta, increases uric acid production. Both should be seriously limited.

The use of vitamin C should be avoided by people with gout, due to the high levels of acidity.

BOOKS

Parker, James N., M.D., and Philip M. Parker, Ph. D. The 2002 Official Patient's Sourcebook on Gout. San Diego, CA: ICON Health Publications, 2002.