“Gout is a chronic disease with a genetic basis and is not the fault of the sufferer – the myth that gout is caused by lifestyle or diet needs to be busted,” said epidemiologist Tony Merriman from the University of Otago in New Zealand, when the study was published last year.
Gout takes hold when there are high levels of uric acid in the blood, which then form sharp crystal needles in the joints. When the body’s immune system starts to attack those crystals, it leads to significant pain and discomfort.
Genetics is important in every stage of that process, the researchers suggest. Particularly, it affects the likelihood of the body’s immune system attacking the crystals, and in the way uric acid is transported around the body.
Gout can come and go, but there are treatments available – and the authors behind the study think misconceptions can put people off getting those treatments. That’s a real problem with cases of the condition rising and rising.
“This widespread myth causes shame in people with gout, making some people more likely to suffer in silence and not go and see the doctor to get a preventive drug that lowers urate in the blood and will prevent their pain,” said Merriman.
