King's disease gout, why male patients are the majority
Aug 26, 2025
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The cause of gout is 'uric acid'. The concentration of 'uric acid', a waste product created by metabolizing foods high in purine, is increased and turned into crystals, and these crystals are deposited in cartilage, tendons, and surrounding tissues of joints. These accumulated uric acid crystals cause inflammation of the joints and cause recurrent seizures accompanied by extreme pain. While sleeping without any special signs, the big toe, top of foot, and ankle are severely swollen and painful.
The majority of patients are male. This is because men have higher levels of uric acid in the blood than women and are more exposed to foods high in purine, such as alcohol, intestines, and red meat. Women rarely develop until menopause due to the influence of estrogen, but the incidence increases after menopause. Oestrogen is known to help release uric acid.
For accurate diagnosis, the synovial fluid is drawn from the joint suspected of gout with a syringe and uric acid crystals are checked under a microscope. Serum uric acid concentration may be checked, and X-rays or CT scans may be performed as an auxiliary.
Gout is a chronic disease, so drug treatment and lifestyle improvement should be combined. First of all, in the event of an acute arthritis attack, drugs such as colchicine, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and steroids can effectively relieve pain. When acute seizures subsides, uric acid-lowering treatment is performed on patients at high risk of recurrence or risk of complications. Typically, uric acid-producing inhibitors such as allopurinol and febuxostat are used. In some cases, the medication is stopped arbitrarily just because the symptoms have improved, but gout can accumulate joint damage every time it recurs, so it should be managed in the long term according to the instructions of the specialist.
The most important thing is prevention. In order to lower uric acid levels, you should avoid drinking and refrain from eating meat intestines, red meat, and fructose and refreshing beverages high in purine. Sufficient water intake of more than 2 liters a day and regular exercise are also essential. If you are obese, weight loss is helpful.
Professor Kim Mi-hyun of the Department of Rheumatology at Korea University Ansan Hospital said, `Recently, we have been exposed to high-fructose mixed liquor such as high balls and cocktails, and delivery foods with high purine content such as chicken and meat, which can greatly increase the level of uric acid in the blood, so be careful" he warned. In addition, Professor Kim said "Gout is a metabolic disease that must be managed like high blood pressure or diabetes, and it is of paramount importance for high-risk groups to regularly check uric acid levels through blood tests and to improve lifestyle and medication through consultation with specialists.".
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
