Gout, also known as the “disease of kings” because King Henry VIII suffered from it, is a type of arthritis that is characterised by sudden, severe attacks of pain, redness, swelling and tenderness of one or more joints. It most often occurs in the big toe.
According to Healthline, a study published by the University of Nottingham in the UK reported that gout flares may increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes. The research was done in collaboration with experts from Keele University. Its results showed that people with gout who suffered from a heart attack or stroke were two times more likely to have had a gout flare in 60 days before suffering from the heart condition. They were also 1.5 times more likely to have a gout flare in the 61-120 days prior bracket.
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Dr Abhishek, PhD, professor of rheumatology at the School of Medicine at the University of Nottingham, and the lead author of the study told Healthline, “This is the first large study to look at whether gout flares are linked with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.”
Of the 62,574 people whose anonymised data was analysed, 10,475 experienced a heart attack or stroke after their diagnosis of gout. All the patients were treated at the National Health Service in the United Kingdom. In a press statement about the study, Abhishek stated, “The results show that among patients with gout, patients who experienced a heart attack or stroke had significantly increased odds of a gout flare during the preceding 120-days compared with patients who did not experience such events.”
He further added that the findings suggested gout flares had a link with a transient increase in cardiovascular diseases.
Obesity, congestive heart failure, hypertension, insulin resistance, poor kidney function and an unhealthy lifestyle, including consumption of alcohol and drinks high in fructose, can increase the risk of gout in an individual.
