Written by Stephen Beach, via SWNS
New research suggests that gout is genetic rather than lifestyle-related.
Once considered a disease of the wealthy and believed to have affected King Henry VIII, this painful condition is the most common form of arthritis in men, affecting around 1 in 40 adults. I’m doing it.
Gout has made a comeback in recent years, with cases in some parts of England increasing by almost 1,000% in just four years.
Symptoms include sudden, severe pain in the joint (often the big toe) and the skin over the affected joint becoming hot, swollen, and red.
Now, a new study led by researchers at New Zealand’s University of Otago suggests the culprit may lie in our genes.
The team analyzed the genetic information of 2.6 million people around the world.
The findings, published in the journal Nature Genetics, showed that genetics is a key part of why some people get gout and most people don’t.
Lead author Professor Tony Merriman hopes the study will remove some of the stigma surrounding gout.
He said, “Gout is a chronic disease with a genetic basis and is not the patient’s fault. We need to break the myth that gout is caused by lifestyle and diet.”
“This widespread myth creates shame for gout sufferers, with some suffering in silence and more likely not going to the doctor to receive preventive medication to lower uric acid levels in the blood and prevent pain. It will be.
“People believe that while certain dietary factors, such as eating red meat, can trigger gout attacks, the underlying cause may be high uric acid levels, crystals in the joints, and the ability to ‘attack’ the crystals. You have to understand that it’s a primed immune system. Genetics plays a role in gout attacks. It plays an important role in all these processes. ”
This research has identified numerous immune genes and pathways that provide new targets and approaches to prevent gout attacks.
Merriman hopes this discovery will lead to improved treatment for patients.
Gout attacks are usually treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen, and steroids may be given if needed.
“We hope that with the new targets we have identified, better and more accessible treatments will become available in time,” Merriman said.
He said repurposing drugs used to treat other immune-related diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, could be an option.
Tocilizumab targets the receptor for interleukin-6, an immune signal transducer that research has identified as a new gene for gout.
Merriman added: “Gout deserves more health care dollars and a higher priority in the health care system.”
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