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Causes of Gout
Some of the major causes of gout is family related. More than likely if you have suffered from a Gout attack someone else in your family also has it or has suffered from it at some stage in their lives, weather it was a grandfather of a father or Mother, it can skip around a family tree quite easily and also have been undetected or undiagnosed. So Gout is reknown for being passed down genetically. But it may take years for it to rear its ugly head and affect you. One of the predominant causes of gout is a bad diet. A diet rich in Purines is a diet to agony and potentially Death, couple this with excess drinking then you are on the fast lane to gout hell. Beer is one of the highest alcoholic beverages that contain purines. Some studies have shown that Red wine is beneficial, but for me it is number two on the alcohol enemy list. I have had very bad gout from excess red wine. But this isnt to say that you cannot have a drink or two just moderate all alcohol. Sometimes Gout is triggered by drinking over a long period of time and not in excess and the crystals just build up and then release at blood saturation point. The body has an abnormality to processing uric acid and then flushing it out of the body via the kidneys. When the Uric acid builds up to a certain level the blood is saturated and is flooded with urate crystals which head out and lodge into tissue areas in the extremeties. Obesity is also a big factor, as an overweight person has higher chances of attacks. Coupled with high blood pressure and or a mixture of certain medications can be a recipe for disaster. Some people like myself can have gout get triggered off by an accident to a limb etc. I can stub my toe badly and more than likely I can get an attack in the injured area. A bone break or a huge knock to the knee or leg or elbow can also be another trigger. Some people who are on medication such as aspirin or Diuretics can increase their chances if they are over weight or have a purine rich diet. Also sufferers of cancer drugs and treatments such as chemotherapy can have their risk levels increased.
Other Causes of Gout can be related to : Hemolytic anemia Psoriasis Lead exposure from the enviroment Thyroid gland problems such as hypothyroidism Kelley-Seegmiller syndrome or Lesch-Nyhan syndrome ( an enzym that controls Uric acid levels ) Drugs that contain aspirin,niacin and auto-immune drugs such as cyclosporine and finally nerve pathway drugs used for Parkinsons disease such as Larodopa. Uric Acid
In middle aged men high uric acid levels in the blood are a high indicator of severe health problems that could lead to death and are big indicator for various causes of Gout. These levels could indicate cardiovascular disease and other complications. Uric acid is a breakdown product of nitrogen compounds which are normally excreted in urination. Uric acid can well be a Warning sign of damaged cells and the swelling from Gout attacks can be a warning sign of an immune response. These signs are the first stage warning signs for the sufferer to seek medical advice as soon as possible. Research has shown that men with medium to high uric acid levels have an increased risk of death from Cardiovascular disease of more than 2 times the average, compared to lower uric acid level carriers. There is also 1.7 times more chance the risk of death from any disease from any cause.
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