What is Gout?

Gout is a rheumatic disease caused by hyperuricemia (high uric acid levels) resulting from overproduction or under excretion of urate in the body. Gout occurs when uric acid, a waste product in the body, crystallizes and is deposited in joints or soft tissues. When uric acid crystals accumulate in joints, they trigger inflammation, leading to pain, swelling and stiffness in joints. Common symptoms of gout include intense pain, redness, warmth, swelling, and inflammation of the involved joints.

There are four stages of gout: 

Asymptomatic tissue deposition

• Acute flares
• Intercritical segments
• Chronic gout 

Asymptomatic tissue deposition is hyperuricemia without apparent symptoms of gout. Acute flares occur when there is inflammation caused by urate crystals in the joints. It typically starts at the joints of the big toe in 50% of the people with gout. Intercritical segments is the period when acute flares subside and before the next flare-up. This stage becomes shorter as the disease progresses. Finally, chronic gout is when the disease has progressed to chronic arthritis and tophi (uric acid are deposit in the soft tissues) are present. 

Gout Statistics:

• In 2007 to 2008 the prevalence of gout in US adults was 3.9% (8.3 million, adults).
• Gout is more common in men, with 6.1 million men compared to 2.2 million women being affected.
• Gout is almost twice more likely to occur in black men than white men. The cumulative incidence is 10.9% in black men and 5.8% in white men.

Next: Gout Treatment and Prevention

Also Read: Zurampic (lesinurad) From AstraZeneca Gets FDA Approval For Gout Caused By High Uric Acid