“We must break the myth” they defend.
Pain, swelling, redness, feeling of heat in the joints… Gout is an inflammatory rheumatological disease caused by an excessive accumulation of uric acid in the blood. When uric acid levels are too high, urate crystals form in the joints, causing painful inflammation, often in the feet, particularly the big toe. Gout attacks appear suddenly with intense pain. The two major risk factors that always come back to the table are a poor diet, particularly an excess of red meat and a poor lifestyle (alcohol, etc.). “We must break this widespread myth which causes shame in people with gout, encourages them to suffer in silence and not to consult a doctor to obtain medication” explains Professor Tony Merriman of the University of Otago in New Zealand.
With his team of scientists, they conducted a study on more than 2.6 million people around the world. Long associated with excessive consumption of red meat or alcohol, gout has often been stigmatized. However, if certain foods can indeed trigger attacks, the real cause would be elsewhere according to the researchers’ observations. By analyzing genetic data from the 2.6 million people in their panel, they discovered that the majority of gout cases were linked to hereditary factors and not lifestyle choices. This discovery could change the perception of this disease which mainly affects men.
The real cause thus lies, according to researchers, in the genes of the patients. “Gout is caused by an innate immune response to urate crystals. Its origin is genetic and is not the fault of the patient” says Professor Merriman, whose work has been published in the prestigious journal Nature Genetics on October 15. He calls for a better understanding of the disease and appropriate treatment, recalling that treatments exist to lower urate levels and prevent attacks. Their study also opens the way to new treatments. Among the promising avenues, researchers are considering the reuse of certain drugs, notably tocilizumab, used against rheumatoid arthritis, which could target gout. “We hope these findings will lead to better treatment options for people with gout.” Professor Merriman concludes.