An acute form of arthritis, gout is known as the “rich man’s disease” because of its association with an overindulgence in rich food and alcohol. It causes severe pain and swelling in the joints. It most commonly affects the big toe, but may also affect the ankle, hand, wrist, or elbow. “Lowering your uric acid level through diet can help you to manage gout more effectively. As gout attacks can generally last for up to five days, it’s worth your while to familiarise yourself with – and follow – the proper dietary advice, besides taking any medication that was prescribed to you,” says Dr Tan York Kiat, Consultant, Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Singapore General Hospital (SGH), a member of the SingHealth group.
About 4.1 per cent of people suffer from gout, according to the Singapore Chinese Health Study, which was carried out with 52,322 participants (mean age of 62 years old). The mean age at diagnosis was 55 years.
The disease manifested at a mean age of 44 years, and as early as 16 years, in another local study of 100 gout patients seen in a public hospital.
“Gout appears to be getting more and more common, and there seems to be a worldwide trend towards gout patients getting younger,” says Dr Warren Fong, Associate Consultant, Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Singapore General Hospital (SGH), a member of the SingHealth group.
Men are more at risk of gout than women. However, after menopause, women’s risk increases.
What’s worrying is that gout is associated with a host of conditions. In one study, the majority of patients had at least one associated disease. The most common one was high blood pressure, followed by high cholesterol, kidney disease, heart disease and diabetes.
Gout occurs when there is a high level of uric acid in the blood. This can cause crystals of uric acid to settle in the joints. As uric acid accumulates with the breakdown of foods containing purine, it’s important to reduce the intake of foods high in purine.
For a list of specific foods to avoid, please visit HealthXChange.com.sg.
Article written by Jaclyn Lim for HealthXChange, with expert input from the Department of Rheumatology & Immunology, Singapore General Hospital (SGH), a member of the SingHealth group.
Articles on HealthXchange.com.sg are meant for informational purposes only and cannot replace professional surgical, medical or health advice, examination, diagnosis, or treatment.