Gout is a sudden attack of pain that affects the joints of the feet and legs. It is a condition that occurs when deposits of uric acid accumulate in the joints. Gout has earned the distinction of being one of the most commonly recorded medical ailments throughout history. It is often a condition that develops due to an inherited indiscretion in the body’s capability to process uric acid levels. Uric acid is a product formed by breaking down of purines that are an essential component of many foods we eat. An irregularity in handling uric acid causes gout attacks, kidney stones, and blockage of the kidney filtering tubules with uric acid crystals. The term gout usually refers to a form of painful arthritis.
Several risk factors for gout have been identified. One of the important ones is age, since gout is known to occur in middle-aged men in their mid-40s. Since people of this age group show tendencies like obesity, high blood pressure, heavy alcohol use and unhealthy cholesterol levels. Amongst the older generation, it occurs equally in men and women.  Amongst children, the levels of uric acid being low, the chances of developing this disorder are significantly low.
Men are considerably at higher risk for developing gout than women. Gout classically affects a patient after 20 to 40 years of persistent hyperuricemia. However, men who have developed it, typically experience their first attack between the ages of 30 and 50 years. Women become vulnerable to gout after they hit menopause, since after that, their uric acid levels match that of men. Alcohol is an important risk factor for gout. Binge drinking, especially amongst younger people is an important contributor that may aid the development of this disease. Researchers have reported a clear association between body weight and uric acid levels. Obesity is thus an especially important risk factor for gout in men and overweight children have a higher risk for developing gout in their adulthood.
Some medications may act as a risk factor for gout. The use of diuretics, aspirin, niacin, cyclosporine, pyrazinamide and ethambutol can cause an increase uric acid levels in the blood and thus leading to a condition of gout. Certain diseases make the development of gout more likely. Such diseases include untreated high blood pressure, chronic diabetes, high levels of fat and cholesterol and arteriosclerosis. Surgery, injury, severe illness or immobility may also increase uric acid levels. Moreover, chemotherapy treatments may increase the likelihood of the breakdown of abnormal cells, thus discharging great amounts of purines into the blood stream.
