The National Kidney Foundation recommends that people with gout get checked for chronic kidney disease. Doctors commonly use two tests to help diagnose the condition. A simple blood test , called a GFR, measures how much blood your kidneys filter each minute. A urine albumin test, or ACR, can help detect kidney damage. By subscribing you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Health Topics. Health Tools. Reviewed: February 14, Medically Reviewed.
Chronic, untreated gout can lead to joint damage and deformity. Editorial Sources and Fact-Checking. Mayo Clinic. January 11, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. April 14, Interventions for Tophi in Gout. October 20, Becker MA. However, the kidneys are amazing in their ability to compensate for problems in their function so chronic kidney disease may progress without symptoms for a long time.
When decrease in kidney function is severe, people can have symptoms like ankle swelling, nausea, fatigue, and loss of appetite. Gout and cardiovascular disease commonly occur together. In a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association , researchers from Duke University studied data from more than 17, patients, including 1, who had gout at the start of the study and were being treated for cardiovascular risk factors.
After following patients for an average of 6. Patients who had gout at any point during the study had a two-fold increased risk of heart failure death compared to people who never developed gout. Gout causes inflammation in the joints and the rest of the body; inflammation is also a risk factor for heart disease.
Heart disease prevention strategies include maintaining a heart-healthy diet, regular exercise, and better cardiovascular risk assessment. Your doctor may recommend more frequent screening tests or more aggressive management of other heart disease risk factors that also occur with gout, such as high blood pressure.
A study published in the journal the Annals of the Rheumatic Disease found that gout may be independently associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Excessive alcohol consumption can also contribute to both gout and diabetes. Maintaining healthy eating and exercise habits can prevent and manage diabetes and gout.
Foods low in calories and fat but high in fiber fruits, veggies and whole grains can help lower your risk of diabetes. Drink at least eight cups of water a day; staying hydrated can help you keep healthy blood sugar levels. Cardio and strength training exercise is especially beneficial for lowering blood sugar levels.
Since gout attacks often happen at night, people with gout are awoken from sleeping. Pain from gout can prevent you from falling back to sleep.
That sleep deprivation can lead to increased stress, mood swings, fatigue, and other health problems. Gout is also connected with obstructive sleep apnea, a condition that occurs when your airway becomes temporarily and briefly blocked while you sleep. People with obstructive sleep apnea are often known to also have high uric acid levels, a gout risk factor.
Symptoms of sleep apnea include daytime sleepiness, fatigue, snoring, difficulty concentrating, restlessness during sleep, and gasping for air while sleeping. People with sleep apnea experience many small interruptions in breathing while they sleep, and this lowers the level of oxygen in their blood.
This is thought to affect a process that elevates the production of uric acid in the body, which raises gout risk. An injected steroid also tackles inflammation, usually controlling pain and swelling within 24 hours. Prescription drugs such as allopurinol Lopurin, Zyloprim , febuxostat Uloric and probenecid Benemid all alleviate gout by controlling blood levels of uric acid. Also, two years ago the FDA approved an intravenous drug for people with advanced gout — pegloticase Krystexxa — that lowers uric acid levels and reduces deposits of uric acid crystals in the joints and soft tissue.
Most people who have gout will need to be on a uric-acid-lowering drug for life, usually just one or two pills a day, says George Washington University's Baraf. Truth: Lifestyle changes can reduce both the severity and frequency of attacks. For starters, when people lose weight , they often have fewer attacks, says Reveille.
Animal proteins have a higher level of purines, so it's better to eat vegetable proteins like beans and peas. In fact, a review in the rheumatology journal Current Opinion in Rheumatology notes that protein-rich foods such as dairy products, nuts, beans, peas and whole grains are healthy choices for people with gout, reducing the risk of heart disease and possibly lowering the risk of insulin resistance. Baraf says that he asks patients to abstain from alcohol during the first six months of treatment, until medications have stabilized uric acid levels.
After that, he says, it's fine to drink — in moderation. Dorothy Foltz-Gray is a freelance writer who lives in North Carolina. Remember to go to the AARP home page every day for tips on keeping healthy and sharp, and great deals. You are leaving AARP. Please return to AARP. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also manage your communication preferences by updating your account at anytime.
You will be asked to register or log in. Sometimes a thin needle is used to take a sample of fluid from inside the affected joint, to test it. The blood test will find out how much of a chemical called uric acid there is in your blood. Having too much uric acid in your blood can lead to crystals forming around your joints, which causes pain.
If the pain and swelling does not improve you may be given steroids as tablets or an injection. Gout can come back every few months or it may be years. It can come back more often if it's not treated. If you have frequent attacks or high levels of uric acid in your blood, you may need to take uric acid-lowering medicine.
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