Gout Pal Interactive

Yesterday, somebody asked me “What is the protein and uric acid connection?”
I can sum it up in two words.
Very complex.
But you want more than that, don’t you?

The simplest explanation is that certain proteins (purines) get broken down in the human body to uric acid. Most other animals produce other enzymes (uricase) that continue to breakdown uric acid further, so that it is easier to excrete. Humans do not have that enzyme because we want to keep some of the uric acid. It neutralizes free oxygen radicals in our body that would otherwise cause extensive cell damage. That is why normal human lifespan is greater than many animals.

From that, we can see that the protein and uric acid connection is a simple one:
Read the rest of this entry »

Statistics show that many gout sufferers also have heart problems. Medical men argue whether one causes the other or if they are a common consequence of heredity, bad diet or lifestyle choices. Today I’ll tell you about a new study that shows that gout and heart disease are linked. You will see that, if you suffer from either condition, you must take treatments that will help both.

Back in 2005, researchers analysed thousands of gout patients, looking for links between gout and other illnesses. Their study, Gout and the Risk of Acute Myocardial Infarction, proved that gout patients had more heart attacks than people without gout. But how are the two linked?

Critics pointed to the fact that the study was based on statistical analysis of medical records. This type of study, known as epidemiological, is a common way that researchers can establish health trends in populations to identify, amongst other things, risk factors associated with various diseases. Whilst not denying the validity of these statistics, many claim that the value is limited - giving no indication whether diseases are linked by more than mere coincidence caused by common factors.

The latest study is a clinical, case-controlled review of over 700 patients, approximately half of these being heart disease sufferers. Independent association of high serum uric Acid concentration with angiographically defined coronary artery disease, proves that high uric acid is directly linked to heart disease. It also suggests that high uric acid could be used clinically as a marker for increase risk of heart attack.

People have wondered about a link between heart disease and gout for years. It now seems that, after years of study, there is a clear indication that the two conditions are linked. It may be many more years before anyone learns how the two are linked. For now, you must be careful that the choices you make for gout, including what you eat, do not aggravate other conditions such as heart disease. I’ll be looking at this in more detail in my gout diet plan, and other lifestyle and treatment articles. What is important for now, if you suffer from gout or heart disease, you must take treatments that help both conditions.