It is estimated that 9.2 million people in the United States currently suffer from gout.
By: Maria Camila Sanchez
March 05, 2024
The popular belief is that the drop It is ‘big toe disease’ or ankle disease. However, the drop It goes much further than that, since it is a type of arthritis whose development is linked to the accumulation of uric acid in the blood, causing inflammation in the joints.
During his presentation at ‘ReumaExpo Oeste’, Dr. Braulio Quintero, specialist in rheumatology, explained that this condition used to be called “the disease of kings”, due to reports suggesting that it was quite common among nobility and royalty. .
“There are some photographs that we use in these lectures of a king, with his foot on a chair with his big toe swollen,” he recalled. “Cholesterol has paid a lot of the price, and really a big part of the problem is sugar.”
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Why does gout occur?
According to the specialist, this disease is associated with the consumption of animal proteins and beer, although it usually appears in people with diabetes, kidney disease, obesity, anemia, leukemia and other types of blood cancers.
“He uric acid It goes to the blood, it circulates, it goes to all organs and is concentrated in the kidney and joints. “This is when this disease begins,” he said. “Usually, the history of these patients is beer consumption.”
The initial manifestation is swelling of the big toe. In addition, they usually report pain that worsens at night. “What scientists say is that in the feet, the body temperature is low, and this creates a biochemical environment for the attack of drop“.
Stages of the disease
In initial stages, the drop is asymptomatic, that is, the patient has high levels of uric acid but it still has no physical manifestations. As it progresses, the patient develops painful symptoms of seizure attacks. drop.
The third stage, known as drop Interictal, allows the patient to achieve periods of remission between attacks, although it is not synonymous with an improvement in symptoms. Finally, the formation of nodules, called tophi, begins in the affected joints.
“Tophi are the tip of the iceberg,” he said. “There are many other things that are not noticed, but that the patient already has at this stage.”
The drop It usually affects the big toe, ankles and knees. “The fluid must be removed from these patients, because there is no way for the pain to go away unless the joint is drained.”
This product is sent for studies, with the aim of ruling out any type of infection.
Uric acid stools
However, the accumulation of this substance is not always evident. In addition, it can affect other structures of the body, such as the hands or the spine, which can be confused with rheumatoid arthritis or bone spurs.
“The crystals of uric acid can be introduced into the body,” he emphasized. And the lungs, arteries, liver, pancreas, skin, small intestine, spine, and eyes can have deposits of uric acid and be affected by this cause.
“Due to the substance they contain in your body, urate crystals release an inflammatory substance called interleukins, associated with high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, heart attacks, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and strokes,” he mentioned. “The impact of drop It is not only at the level of situations, but at the level of others organs“.