Gout increases heart attack risk for men

Source: Agencies  |   2008-6-5  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

FOR men with risk factors for heart disease, having the arthritic condition gout may further boost their odds of dying from heart problems, an American study suggests.

Researchers found that among 9,100 middle-aged men at higher-than-average risk of heart disease, those with gout were more likely to die of a heart attack or other cardiovascular cause over 17 years.

The findings should give men with gout extra incentive to have a doctor assess their cardiac risks, lead researcher Dr Eswar Krishnan said.

And if they have modifiable risk factors, like high cholesterol, high blood pressure or excess weight, it will be particularly important to get them under control, noted Krishnan, an assistant professor at Stanford University School of Medicine.

He and his colleagues reported the findings in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Gout is a very painful form of arthritis that causes the joints to periodically become swollen, red and hot - most often affecting the big toe, though it also strikes the feet, ankles, knees, hands and wrists. Gout arises when uric acid crystals build up in the joints.

The body produces uric acid when it breaks down purines - substances found naturally in the body, but also in certain foods, like organ meats, anchovies, mushrooms and some seafood, such as herring and mackerel.

Some research has linked high uric acid levels in the body to a higher risk of cardiovascular trouble.

Similarly, studies have found that men with gout have higher rates of heart attack and angina - chest pain caused by insufficient blood flow to the heart.

The researchers also found that those with gout also had a higher risk of dying from any cardiovascular cause, such as stroke.