Gout is caused by too much uric acid in the blood (hyperuricemia). The following risk factors can either cause hyperuricemia or make joints more susceptible to the formation of uric acid crystals:
So, lets see how many of these fit me…
- Being male, yep
- Family history of gout, not so much
- Obesity, yep
- Moderate, regular, or heavy consumption of alcohol, especially beer. Wow one that doesn’t apply.
- A diet rich in meat and seafood, which can be high in purines, yep
- Use of medicines that remove salt and water from the body (diuretics), yep
- Regular use of aspirin (more than 1 or 2 aspirin tablets a day), yep
- Frequent episodes of dehydration, yep
- Acute illness or infection, yep
- Lead exposure (may occur through work, diet, or hobbies), yep,. ooops
- Very low-calorie diets, yep
- Injury to a joint, yep
Looks like I’m screwed….
