THE ESSENTIAL
- Gout is a common chronic disease.
- The role of genetics would be more important than that of food.
0.9% of the French population suffers from gout, with older men being the most affected.
Gout, a chronic disease
Gout is a chronic disease caused by an abnormally high level of uric acid in the blood and deposits of uric acid microcrystals in the joints and surrounding tissues, causing inflammation. This pathology is manifested by sudden attacks called “gout attacks”. Patients then suffer from joint pain accompanied by redness, warmth and swelling of the affected area. Usually, in men, the big toe is most affected. In women, other joints may be affected. In addition to the pain it causes, inflammation increases cardiovascular risk.
Change diet to prevent painful attacks
When a patient has a gout attack, their doctor prescribes medication and often advocates lifestyle changes aimed at keeping blood uric acid levels below a certain level. Since this acid comes from the degradation of purines, molecules present in many foods, it is often recommended to modify your diet. Beer, strong alcohols and products such as red meat, organ meats, cold cuts, seafood, mackerel, sardines and herring should be avoided because they are high in purines. In addition, in 2020, specialists recalled in the medical journal Prescribe that it was also necessary to prohibit sugary drinks such as sodas, fruit juices and industrial nectars. In effect, “fructose metabolism, like that of alcohol, tends to increase acid production uric“, notes the editorial staff.
To draw this conclusion, the specialists relied on two studies concerning several tens of thousands of people. “HASAfter taking into account various factors that can influence the risk of gout, including alcohol consumption and body mass index, these studies showed a risk of gout approximately twice as high in people who consumed more than one sugary drink per day compared to those who do not consume it“, it is reported. In conclusion, “gout patients should reduce or even avoid drinks with added sugarss, such as sodas“. Remember that in general, sugary drinks, even “light“, are not good for your health. Scientists often associate them with an increased risk of diabetes, obesity and even cardiovascular illnesses.
The Role of Genetics in Gout Attacks
On its website, the‘Health Insurance listed sugary drinks as a risk factor for gout. “Lgout results from an abnormal and chronic increase in the level of uric acid in the blood, which is explained by a high food intake of purine and especially by a defect in the elimination of uric acid by the kidneys. When the concentration of uric acid exceeds the limit of solubility, crystals of uric acid (sodium urate) form and deposit in and around the joints. Uric acid comes from the degradation of purines present in many foods (foods rich in proteins, alcohol, beer, sugary drinks, etc.). It is then eliminated by the kidneys, in the urine“, it is specified.
But it should be noted that diet is not the only factor in the development of gout. In October 2018, a study published in the BMJ suggested that genetics had a greater role in the occurrence of this common disease. For their work, the researchers analyzed the medical records of 8,414 healthy men and 8,346 women. By analyzing their blood uric acid levels, they noticed that foods linked to high levels changed the variation in urate levels by less than 1%. In contrast, a genetic analysis of the participants showed that common genetic factors explained almost a quarter (23.9%) of the variation in rates.
“Our data challenges widely held perceptions that gout is primarily caused by diet, showing for the first time that genetic variants contribute significantly more to gout than dietary exposure,” notice the researchers. Thereby“much of the preponderance of patients with hyperuricemia and gout is not modifiable”they conclude, calling for an end to blaming patients and for closer monitoring of family members where someone has gout.
