Gout promotes serious diseases

Why you should have your uric acid level checked and treat elevated levels.

gout is a metabolic disease caused by an increased concentration of uric acid (hyperuricemia) in the blood. It does not initially cause any symptoms, but represents a significant risk factor for the development of serious diseases.

If the uric acid concentration exceeds a certain value, uric acid crystals can be deposited in various parts of the body. Joints (big toe, knee and elbow, hand and finger joints) and the kidneys are particularly affected. Impaired kidney function, kidney inflammation and Hypertension are often the consequences.

"A uric acid level of up to 7 mg/dl is still normal. If there is too much uric acid in the blood over a longer period of time, the body deposits the excess uric acid as crystals. This can lead to joint inflammation, often spontaneously as a very painful attack of gout. If deposits are present in the kidneys, kidney stones form," explains Dr. Reinhold Lunow, medical director of Praxisklinik Bornheim between Cologne and Bonn.

Uric acid is produced in the human body as the end product of the breakdown of purines. These are produced during normal cell metabolism, and humans also ingest purines with food. Our bodies cannot use uric acid and therefore excrete it through the kidneys and intestines. Normally, there is a physiological balance between the formation and excretion of uric acid. However, if the kidneys excrete less uric acid or produce more uric acid than is excreted, this balance is disturbed and the uric acid level rises.

Alcohol and meat promote gout

Causes for an increased uric acid level are certain Diseases, in which increased cell degradation or cell remodeling occurs, such as blood cancer or psoriasis, as well as kidney diseases and Type 2 diabetesIncreased alcohol consumption reduces the excretion of uric acid via the kidneys, and the uric acid concentration in the blood increases. People who eat a lot of meat, especially offal, also risk developing gout. Certain medications can also increase the level, e.g. laxatives, diuretics, medicines for tuberculosis or Cancer and low-dose aspirin.

“The predisposition to gout is hereditary. But our Nutrition has a major influence on how hyperuricemia progresses. Gout is considered a disease of affluence, which is often combined with obesity, Diabetes mellitus, elevated blood lipid levels and Hypertension occurs,” says Dr. Lunow. In any case, you should pay attention to the purine content of your food and adjust your eating habits to the Doctor vote, said the internist.

Nocturnal gout attack with severe pain

As uric acid levels rise, the risk of a gout attack increases. The first gout attack usually occurs at night, triggered by a large meal, heavy alcohol consumption, unusual exertion or an infectious disease. You wake up with very severe pain in a single joint. If left untreated, a gout attack can last several days. Severe signs of inflammation also appear in the affected joint.

“If gout is suspected, we carry out practice clinic A laboratory examination of the uric acid concentration in blood and urine is carried out as standard," says Dr. Lunow, describing the diagnostics. If the values ​​are elevated, the diet is put to the test. "If overweight should aim for a normal weight through a changed diet and more physical activity," recommends the expert. "We support our patients in this in the practice clinic for Diagnosis and Prävention with a modern Nutritional consultation . "

Depending on the severity of the disease, additional medication is used to reduce the high uric acid level: either by increasing the flushing out of uric acid via the kidneys or by reducing the production of uric acid in the body. In many cases, drug therapy can also break down existing deposits.

Increased uric acid concentration leads to chronic damage

If elevated uric acid levels remain undetected for years, the risk of developing chronic gout and permanent damage to organs and joints increases. Uric acid crystals then deposit in the so-called gouty nodes (tophi), under the skin or near the joints on the hands and feet. The persistent inflammatory stimulus can result in chronic arthritis (joint inflammation) with joint degeneration (secondary arthrosis). Permanent inflammatory processes also damage the inner walls of the blood vessels, which is associated with an increased risk of heart and vascular diseases, such as Heart attack and Stroke, connected is.

Therefore, possible signs should be taken seriously. “Anyone who frequently and sometimes for days feels pain in the spine, calf, thighs or neck, pain and a feeling of pressure in the kidney area, should have their uric acid levels checked. check "Let's take a break," recommends Dr. Lunow. "A general feeling of being unwell, with nervous hyperexcitability, fatigue and flatulence can also be a precursor to an acute gout attack and should be investigated."

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