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Gout is a condition caused by an excess of uric acid in the blood, itself caused by the precipitation (= formation) of urate crystals in the cartilage. This accumulation causes severe joint inflammation. If left untreated, gout attacks escalate and eventually affect more and more joints.

Gout is caused by the improper breakdown of substances called purines. These are located in the nucleus of cells, then released when the cells themselves are destroyed. The purines are then transformed into uric acid, which can take the form of urate crystals. When a large number of cells break down, massive quantities of purines are released, uric acid levels soar and a gout attack is triggered. This cell fragility is typical of certain diseases, such as leukaemia or psoriasis, or their treatment, but can also be a side-effect of chemotherapy, for example.

That said, sometimes all it takes is a stressful event to cause a sudden increase in cell destruction. Uric acid can also increase in the body as a result of poor elimination, e.g. kidney failure. This is known as secondary gout. Primary gout is genetically programmed: it is caused by a faulty synthesis of certain enzymes. A large number of enzymes may be involved. One of them has been identified since it is known to be absent in children suffering from Lesch-Nyhan syndrome. These young patients suffer from gout attacks from an early age.

Gender: men suffer from hyperuricaemia 5 times more than women.

Age: uric acid levels in the blood increase with age. Hyperuricemia-related illnesses are therefore more likely to occur in men between 40 and 60 and in women in the menopause.

Weight: there is a causal relationship between gout and obesity. Dieting lowers blood uric acid levels, whereas fasting is unhealthy and leads to reduced uric acid excretion and a consequent increase in blood uric acid levels.

Diet: certain foods contain purines, the building blocks of uric acid, and should therefore be avoided: fatty foods, game, poultry, cold meats, shellfish and lobster, certain fish such as herring, anchovies, sardines and sprats, certain vegetables such as lentils, peas and beans, and especially meat from organs such as the liver, kidney and brain.

Alcohol: Alcohol abuse increases the level of uric acid in the blood and can even cause a gout attack. In patients suffering from gout, abstinence allows a huge drop in the uricemia value.

Medication: Certain medications, such as diuretics, can increase uricemia levels.

High levels of uric acid in the body are often due to obesity, high blood pressure or atherosclerosis. The harmful effects of uricaemia reinforce these risk factors. As a result, the risk of hyperlipidaemia, diabetes, high blood pressure and atherosclerosis increases considerably.

Unlike other acute rheumatic conditions, gout is easy to treat. In the event of an attack, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug is administered as the first line of treatment, which normally brings the attack to an end within five days. If this is not enough, it is not gout. Colchicine, a specific anti-inflammatory drug, is sometimes also prescribed.