Feb

18

Gout, the disease of kings, is on the rise again

February 18, 2007 | Comments Off

It was a rare indulgence at her parents’ house: two dozen raw clams, a two-pound lobster drenched in butter and shrimp with linguine over the course of 18 hours. Within two days, the pain that had been bothering the bunion on Maria Cicchino’s left foot became unbearable. It felt like an exposed nerve, she said. […]

Nov

28

Uric acid tests

November 28, 2006 | Comments Off

The uric acid tests are used to evaluate the blood levels of uric acid for gout and to assess uric acid levels in the urine for kidney stone formation. The urine test is used most often to monitor patients already diagnosed with kidney stones, but it can also be used to detect disorders that affect […]

Oct

2

Study finds gout patients at risk for heart attacks

October 2, 2006 | Comments Off

Men who have gout are more likely to have heart attacks, according to a new study.
Gout patients tend to be obese and have high blood pressure, but an increased risk for heart attack was present even after accounting for those and other risk factors, said lead researcher Dr. Eswar Krishnan, of the University of Pittsburgh […]

Aug

31

Medicines help prevent repeat attacks of gout

August 31, 2006 | Comments Off

A rise in blood uric acid brings on a gout attack. Uric acid is in the shape of needlelike crystals. When those crystals penetrate joints, painful swelling results. Gout medicines come in two varieties. One stops the body from making too much uric acid. Your allopurinol (Zyloprim) is such a medicine, but you’re taking a […]

Jul

9

Is it true that…drinking too much alcohol causes gout?

July 9, 2006 | Comments Off

It may be a contributory factor but it’s probably not the alcohol itself that’s the real problem. Gout is caused by the formation of uric acid crystals in joints; this results in severe inflammation, leading to a joint that is characteristically red, hot and very painful.
The likelihood of developing gout is, therefore, linked to the […]

Jul

9

Research Findings Reveal Interesting Aspects of Gout

July 9, 2006 | Comments Off

Gout is a type of rheumatoid arthritis that causes pain, swelling and inflammation of the joints. Statistics indicate that there are more than 3.5 million people in the United States confronted with gout, most of them developing the disease after the age of 50. Although gout can be developed by both men and women, it […]

Jun

20

For many, gout comes with age

June 20, 2006 | Comments Off

Many people have heard of this extremely common disorder, but few people learn much about it until it strikes them or someone in their family, says Dr. Larry Levin, a Medford rheumatologist.
Levin says gout is actually a form of arthritis, which causes pain when crystals of uric acid accumulate in or around joints. Many people […]

Jun

15

Gout is painful, Medication and diet can help relieve the symptoms

June 15, 2006 | Comments Off

Gout is a condition where uric acid, a waste product that occurs naturally within the body, rises above normal levels. Rather than being flushed by the kidneys and through the urine, as it normally is, it forms crystals and deposits in the joints. These deposits give rise to inflammation of the joints, causing pain, swelling, […]