If you have ever hadback pain, you know how difficult it can be to pinpoint the cause. From bone spurs to overworked muscles to slipped discs, there’s no shortage of ailments that could be at the root of your aching lumbar.
And here’s one more. Over the last 10 years, rheumatologists have documented more cases of gout appearing in the spine. So if you are one of the 8 million Americans with this inflammatory form of arthritis – and you have unexplained back or neck pain, tingling sensations down your arm or leg, or numbness – there’s a small chancethe culprit could be your gout.
A swollen, stiff knee might immediately lead you to suspect you haveosteoarthritis (OA), but the culprit could also be gout. Like many close relatives, the two conditions share common features. And because they often occur together, you might wonder which one is causing your symptoms.
If you’re changing your diet to help lower uric acid levels andreduce your risk of gout attacks, meat choices can have a big impact. Some meats are high in purines. Purines are substances found naturally in the body as well as in in foods. They are broken down in the body to form uric acid. When excess uric acid in the bloodstream builds too quickly or can’t be eliminated fast enough, it is deposited as needle-shaped crystals in the tissues of the body, including joints, causing intense pain. So, a high-purine diet puts you at greater risk for uric acid buildup. And a 2012 study in theAnnals of the Rheumatic Diseases研究表明,当饮食中含有更多嘌呤时,风险会加重。但如果肉类是你最喜欢的食物呢?以下是你应该知道的选择。
A diet that’s best known for promoting heart health may also help gout management. The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, which emphasizes fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products, may lower serum uric acid (SUA) levels. In a study published inClinical Rheumatologyin March 2017, research findings showed that the diet reduced SUA [compared to the typical American (control) diet] within 30 days, with a sustained effect at 90 days. In an earlier study reported inArthritis & Rheumatologyin August 2016, researchers reported similar finding in some cases.
In addition to being treated with medication for symptoms of an acute flare, should a person with gout be put on long-term uric acid-lowering medication to reduce future flares? And is it safe to keep raising the dose of the medication until uric acid drops below a specified target? Rheumatologists and other physicians are currently grappling with those questions, and a new study may help lead to some answers.
What Is Gout?
Goutis the most common form of inflammatory arthritis in the United States, affecting more than 8 million adults. It develops in some people who have high levels of uric acid in the blood. Needle-shaped crystals form in and around joints – often beginning in the base of the big toe – causing episodes of severe pain, heat and swelling. Continue readingIncreasing Allopurinol Dose May Better Control Gout→
An international panel of leading gout experts has published new recommendations advising that doctors use a treat-to-target approach for managinggout, a painful form of arthritis that affects more than 8 million adults in the United States. Central to the recommendations is using medication to reduce and keep blood uric acid levels below 6 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) – and even lower in people with severe gout. The recommendations were published online inAnnals of the Rheumatic Diseasesin September. Continue readingPanel Recommends Aggressive Treat-to-Target Approach to Gout→
It may come as a surprise that gout is the most common cause of inflammatory arthritis among adults in the United States.1It’s also very painful, but gout can be a management disease – meaning there are several things people with gout can do to reduce flares, or eliminate flares all together. Continue readingArthritis Foundation Launches Wipe Out Gout – Awareness Campaign→
A diet that’s best known for promoting heart health may also significantly reduce blood levels of uric acid – a key factor in the development of gout, according to a new study published online recently inArthritis & Rheumatology. TheDASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet, which emphasizes fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products, was developed nearly 20 years ago by a government-funded research collaborative to reduce high blood pressure. In the new study, researchers found that in some cases, DASH may also lower uric acid levels almost as well as medications do. Continue readingHeart-healthy DASH Diet May Also Help Prevent Gout→
At times, life can be difficult for those living withgout, but it can be just as hard on spouses. When you live in close quarters with a significant other, you undoubtedly feel the pain they deal with on a daily basis. Mira knows this firsthand.
Early on in their marriage, Mira’s husband returned from a business trip with a painful toe and they couldn’t figure out the cause. “For someone who was athletic and never had any health problems, it was inexplicable,” says Mira. “That first attack lasted about a week, and we were young, so he didn’t go see a doctor.” Continue reading“Honey, I Have Gout”: A Spouse Reflects on Her Worries→
Did you know that Gout Awareness Day is held on May 22? In support of Gout Awareness Day today, we’velaunched a new toolto help those that suffer from the disease. Of the nearly 8.3 million adults living withgout, more than half experience multiple gout attacks each year. But having fewer or no gout attacks is possible. The Arthritis Foundation’s Let’s Speak Gout patient tool is now available to empower you to better manage your disease. Continue readingLet’s Speak Gout: Addressing A Treatable, Yet Often Untreated Condition→