Causes of gout in men and women

Gout is one of the metabolic diseases in the body, in which uric acid accumulates and crystals are deposited in tissues and joints. The causes of gout are an increased percentage of this acid in the bloodstream, which, in turn, is associated with excessive consumption of purines with food, or with a violation of their excretion with urine and feces.

Foods with particularly high purine content are fatty meats, fish products, animal fats, and mushrooms.

Under normal conditions, uric acid (sodium urate) is a product of the breakdown of purine substances that must leave the body through the urinary system. If there is a failure at any stage in this process, the percentage of acid in the bloodstream increases. In such cases, we speak of hyperuricemia.

The standard content of sodium urate in the female body is 0.24, and no more than 0.36 mmol/l.

The normal sodium urate content in men is 0.3, and no more than 0.42 mmol/l.

With a high percentage of uric acid, the risk of developing a disease such as gout increases.

Common causes of gout can be determined by the following factors:

• genetic predisposition, which causes increased production of purines by the body and/or decreased clearance of sodium urate;
• disturbances of glomerular function or acid excretion by the renal tubules;
• excessive consumption of foods containing purines;
• enzyme disorders with biochemical imbalance;
• insufficient renal function;
• taking certain medications (caffeine, diuretics, aspirin, etc.);
• excessive alcohol consumption;
• stress, poisoning, metabolic disorders affecting the functioning of the urinary system.

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Causes of gout in men

Gout affects men much more often than women. For example, if the overall percentage of men affected is about 23%, then for women this figure is only 3%.

Male patients most often discover the disease at 30-40 years of age. However, in recent years gout has become much "younger", and sometimes the disease can manifest itself earlier.

Why is the male population more susceptible to this disease?

The fact is that men, as a rule, consume a larger total amount of food, mainly meat and fatty products, as well as hot spices, which contributes to the development of pathology. In addition, many representatives of the strong half of humanity drink alcohol daily in varying quantities. All this leads to the fact that a constant high level of uric acid is created in the bloodstream, which significantly exceeds the norm. At first, such a disorder does not manifest itself in any way, but after a heavy feast or nervous stress, the first attack of gout may occur.

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Causes of gout in women

In women, gout manifests itself much later than in men. This is due to the fact that the level of urates and the development of the disease are largely controlled by hormones, the production of which subsides by the period of menopause. This is why the first signs of gout in women are observed only at 50-60 years of age.

Among the most typical causes of the disease among women are:

• hypertension, which affects the function of the urinary system;
• primary kidney disease;
• taking medications that provoke the retention of sodium urate in the body;
• nutritional errors (overeating, eating large amounts of fatty foods, etc.);
• frequent stress, anxiety, phobias.

Often, the development of gout is caused by other metabolic disorders, such as diabetes.

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Causes of gout in the feet

The body temperature in the lower extremities is usually lower than in other organs that are closer to the heart. For this reason, it is in the legs that uric acid crystallization occurs first. The knee joints, ankle joints, and toes (especially the big toes) suffer. Inflammation gradually occurs, which becomes chronic: this is how gouty arthritis develops, affecting the joints of the lower extremities.

The most typical cause of gout in the legs is:

• poor nutrition;
• regular consumption of alcoholic beverages;
• excess weight, physical inactivity;
• unfavorable heredity;
• prolonged cooling of the lower extremities.

Sometimes inflammation in the joints can develop as a secondary disease - for example, due to poisoning, leukemia, taking diuretics, heart disease, etc.

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Causes of gout on hands

Gout most often affects the lower limbs, and less often the arms. Crystals are deposited in the elbow joints, as well as in the finger joints, resulting in deformation - the appearance of gouty bumps.

Gout on the hands can be provoked by joint injuries, joint surgeries, concomitant diseases (infectious or systemic), taking thiazides (diuretics), poor nutrition, overwork or psycho-emotional overload.

The more pronounced hyperuricemia is, the more severe the disease is. Hyperuricemia can be caused by hematological pathologies (leukemia, lymphoma, anemia), psoriasis, etc. Genetic abnormalities can also be the cause. However, it must be recognized that in a large number of patients the cause of gout cannot be clarified and remains unknown.

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Causes of exacerbation of gout

What can cause an exacerbation of gout:

• consumption of alcoholic beverages (alcohol promotes the production and hinders the excretion of sodium urate);
• overeating foods prohibited for gout;
• physical overload of joints;
• trauma to the affected joint;
• joint surgery;
• acute infections;
• drug therapy with diuretics, riboxin, acetylsalicylic acid;
• exposure to x-rays.

Most often, an attack develops immediately after a violation of a special diet for gout. An exacerbation can last 7-14 days, with symptoms gradually subsiding until a period of remission occurs.

Often the causes of gout are hidden in bad habits that do not correspond to the generally accepted canons of a healthy lifestyle. This is the use of alcoholic beverages, overeating and an improper diet, physical inactivity, excess weight, etc. Therefore, in order to prevent the development of the disease or its exacerbation, it is necessary to forget about such habits forever.

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