Dear Dr. Dave and Dr. Dee, Is gout dangerous to have? My husband has recurring gout, but will not change his eating habits to prevent it. He says he can take his pills to make the pain in his big toe go away, so that is enough. Signed, Should I stop nagging? Dear Should I stop nagging, Gout is an inflammatory arthritis caused by excess uric acid and results in swelling, redness, and joint pain, especially in the big toe. However, other foot, knee, hand, and elbow joints can also be affected. Diet alone may not eliminate gout. Other risk factors for gout are genetics, gender, age, weight, alcohol, diet, medications, and other health problems. If left untreated, besides pain and discomfort, there could be long term damage to the affected joint(s) leading to chronic arthritis and kidney stones. Changing eating habits may help prevent gout from occurring more frequently. Below are some ways to prevent gout attacks: 1. Keep hydrated: drink plenty of water, at least 8 glasses per day 2. Avoid alcohol 3. Weight: maintain healthy body weight or lose weight if overweight. 4. Exercise regularly. 5. Avoid purine rich foods that raise uric acid: red meats, shellfish, sardines, anchovies, beans, peas, asparagus. 6. Take medications for gout as prescribed by your doctor. 7. Increase low fat dairy: researcher Dr. Choi found incidence of gout decreased with increasing intake of dairy products. 8. Increase vitamin C: researcher Dr. Huang found uric acid levels decreased with vitamin C intake of 500 mg/day. For more information on these gout and uric acid studies see the references below. Choi, HK, Atkinson, K, Karlson, EW, et. al., "Purine-Rich Foods, Dairy and Protein Intake, and the Risk of Gout in Men," New England Journal of Medicine, 305: 1071-1073, March 11, 2004. Huang, HY, Appel, LJ, Choi, MJ, et. al., "The effects of vitamin C supplementation on serum concentrations of uric acid: Results of a randomized controlled trial," Arthritis and Rheumatism, Volume 52, 6: 1843-1847, June 2005. |
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