What Causes Gout?
Cardiovascular Disease
High blood pressure is the primary condition related to gout in this area. In fact, 70 percent of people who have gout also have high blood pressure. There are already several studies that prove the association between the two.
A few studies found that by doing a diet designed to lower blood pressure, the level of uric acid in the blood decreased as well.
They implemented the DASH diet which consists mostly of fruits, veggies, low-fat dairy, and low amount of fats, particularly the saturated kind.
Metabolic Syndrome
Metabolic syndrome is a combination of conditions including high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, and high body fat. All these together can increase your risk for heart problems, stroke, and diabetes.
Sugar plays a huge role in this condition. It’s no surprise why sugar affects gout just as bad. It takes a lot of bad habits for your health to get this bad which means it’ll also require a lot of work to bring it back to normal condition. This means adopting a low-sugar diet and exercising regularly.
Sleep Apnea
If you find yourself snoring excessively at night, you may be more at risk for gout. Sleep apnea is a disorder where breathing stops and starts during sleep. The reason why this is bad is that you're not getting enough oxygen in your sleep causing you to feel tired and fatigued the next morning. Unsurprisingly, sleep apnea is more common in men that it is in women.
Not only does sleep apnea increase your risk for gout, but it can also lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, kidney disease, liver problems, and stroke. People who have hyperuricemia are also more likely to suffer from sleep apnea.
Other related conditions include:
- Hypothyroidism
- Psoriasis
- Hemolytic anemia
- Some cancers
- Some genetic disorders
Certain Medications
Certain types of medications used during uric acid-lowering treatment may trigger your gout.
There are also certain medications that elevate uric acid levels:
- Diuretics/water pills are used to treat high blood pressure by ridding the body of excess salt and water, but it has a terrible side effect for gout sufferers.
- Beta-blockers help reduce blood pressure helps the heart to beat more slowly.
- Calcium channel blockers help relax the blood vessels and elevate the supply of blood and oxygen to the heart.
- ACE inhibitors treat hypertension and congestive heart failure.
- Angiotensin II receptor blockers help lower blood pressure.
- Niacin treats high cholesterol.
- Anti-rejection medicine. If you have undergone an organ transplant, you will be required to take medication such as this. However, it does increase your risk for kidney dysfunction which hinders your ability to excrete uric acid from the blood.
- Levodopa treats Parkinson’s patients.
- Baby aspirin can trigger gout. Aspirin is a salicylate that decreases substances in your body and although. It helps to thin the blood, and it can elevate uric acid levels in the blood.
- Chemotherapy drugs.
Make sure to inform your doctor about your gout condition before starting on a new medicine for the conditions mentioned above.
Chemotherapy and Surgery
Recent trauma from a surgery can increase your risk for gout as uric acid tends to build up around injured joints. If you have leukemia or have undergone chemo, you may also be at risk for a gout attack. Cells also tend to break down easily during your first round of chemotherapy causing uric acid build up.
You want to avoid overexerting yourself during this physically stressful time. Limit movement and exercise and get as much rest as needed. The last thing you want is a gout flare at a time when you should be healing.
