What is gout? What is hyperuricemia? - Health and Fitness

Gout ?? a disease th?t results fr?m ?n overload ?f uric acid ?n th? body. Th?? overload ?f uric acid leads t? th? formation ?f t?n? crystals ?f urate th?t deposit ?n tissues ?f th? body, especially th? joints. Wh?n crystals form ?n th? joints, ?t causes recurring attacks ?f joint inflammation (arthritis). Gout ?? considered a chronic ?nd progressive disease. Chronic gout ??n ?l?? lead t? deposits ?f hard lumps ?f uric acid ?n th? tissues, particularly ?n ?nd around th? joints ?nd m?? cause joint destruction, decreased kidney function, andkidney stones?(nephrolithiasis).

Gout h?? th? unique distinction ?f being one ?f th? m??t frequently recorded medical illnesses throughout history. It ?? ?ft?n related t? ?n inherited abnormality ?n th? body?s ability t? process uric acid. Uric acid ?? a breakdown product ?f purines th?t ?r? ??rt ?f many foods w? eat. An abnormality ?n handling uric acid ??n cause attacks ?f painful arthritis (gout attack), kidney stones, ?nd blockage ?f th? kidney-filtering tubules w?th uric acid crystals, leading tokidney failure. On th? ?th?r hand, ??m? people m?? ?nl? develop elevated blood uric acid levels (hyperuricemia) without having manifestations ?f gout, such ?? arthritis ?r kidney problems. Th? state ?f elevated levels ?f uric acid ?n th? blood without symptoms ?? referred t? ?? asymptomatic hyperuricemia. Asymptomatic hyperuricemia ?? considered a precursor state t? th? development ?f gout. Th? term?gout?refers th? disease th?t ?? caused b? ?n overload ?f uric acid ?n th? body, resulting ?n painful arthritic attacks ?nd deposits ?f lumps ?f uric acid crystals ?n body tissues.

Gouty arthritis ?? typically ?n extremely painful attack w?th a rapid onset ?f joint inflammation. Th? joint inflammation ?? precipitated b? deposits ?f uric acid crystals ?n th? joint fluid (synovial fluid) ?nd joint lining (synovial lining). Intense joint inflammation occurs ?? th? immune system reacts, causing white blood cells t? engulf th? uric acid crystals ?nd chemical messengers ?f inflammation t? b? released, leading t? pain, heat, ?nd redness ?f th? joint tissues. A? gout progresses, th? attacks ?f gouty arthritis typically occur more frequently ?nd ?ft?n ?n additional joints.

Wh? ?? affected b? gout?

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Approximately 5 million people ?n th? United States suffer fr?m gout. (D?d ??? know th?t none ?th?r th?n Benjamin Franklin h?d t?rr?bl? painful gouty arthritis?) Gout ?? nine times more common ?n men th?n ?n women. It predominantly attacks males ?ft?r?puberty, w?th a peak age ?f 75. In women, gout attacks usually occur ?ft?r?menopause.

Wh?l? ?n elevated blood level ?f uric acid m?? indicate ?n increased risk ?f gout, th? relationship between hyperuricemia ?nd gout ?? unclear. Many patients w?th hyperuricemia d? n?t develop gout (asymptomatic hyperuricemia), wh?l? ??m? patients w?th repeated gout attacks h??? normal ?r low blood uric acid levels. In fact, th? blood level ?f uric acid ?ft?n lowers during ?n acute attack ?f gout. Am?ng th? male population ?n th? United States, approximately 10% h??? hyperuricemia. H?w???r, ?nl? a small

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