If you think gout is an old-fashioned disease that affects fat, red-faced Victorians, think again. Currently, one in every 40 Brits has this extremely painful disease, making it the most common form of inflammatory arthritis in the UK. Infections among people in their 20s and 30s have increased by 30%, requiring faster monitoring and treatment, front-line experts say.

Many of us have an image of gout sufferers as fat, elderly Victorian men who drank too much port wine. There must be no difference from the truth. According to the latest figures, one in 40 Brits now suffers from this extremely painful condition, making it the most common form of inflammatory arthritis, with an increasing number of young people in their 20s and 30s suffering from this extremely painful condition. There has been a 30% increase in cases between the two countries.

In more than half of all cases, gout classically manifests as a painful, red, hot joint in the big toe. It can then spread to the rest of the feet and hands and cause disability. Gout is caused by the accumulation of uric acid and the formation of crystals in the blood and tissues. If these crystals get into your joints, they can cause inflammation.

Gout flare-ups are painful. However, leading health experts say this is the only form of arthritis that can be completely cured with treatment, and regular monitoring can eliminate cases.

Dr Avinash Hari Narayanan (MBChB), clinical director at the London Institute of Medical Research, said: ‘This is disappointing, even though a simple blood test can identify people at risk of worsening gout before it flares up. “In particular, gout remains a persistent disease.” It will never happen.

‘The charity Arthritis Action says that one in 40 Britons now has the disease and it can cause debilitating pain even in young people.’ In November last year, in the journal ‘BMC Primary A study published in “Care” found that even though gout is the most common inflammatory arthritis, it is often poorly managed or not taken seriously.

“The report found that medical management of gout typically focuses on treating flare-ups with lifestyle modifications. Treatment with uric acid (uric acid)-lowering therapy (ULT) has been available for more than 20 years. Despite consistent results across the UK, the report found that only around a third of gout patients are treated with ULT, and adherence to treatment is low.

“This finding is echoed in another report published last year in The Lancet Rheumatology.” , which may increase uncertainty regarding disease management.” Importantly, the paper agrees that “low adherence to treatment is also a concern, particularly during the dormant period between flare-ups.” Again, regular monitoring using a simple finger prick blood test can help people maintain target levels.

“The last major UK study of the disease was carried out in 2012. At the time, a report published in the British Medical Journal’s Annual Report on Rheumatic Diseases revealed that the number of cases in 2012 was A previous major study found that prevalence increased by 63.9% and incidence increased by 29.6% during this period. . Worryingly, most gout patients are still over the age of 60, but the number of patients between the ages of 20 and 30 has increased by 30%.

“In some ways, very little progress has been made since 2012. NHS Digital statistics show that 234,000 people were admitted to hospital with gout in 2021-22.” The 2023 BMC Primary Care Report says: They looked at 51,784 people with the disease and found that 35.9% experienced at least one recurrence during the study period. As a result, gout flare-ups are more likely to occur in men, black people, people with a higher body mass index, people with heart failure, chronic kidney disease (CKD), cardiovascular disease (CVD), or people taking diuretics. It turned out to be easy.

“Urate-lowering therapy was used in only 27.7% of cases within 12 months of diagnosis, despite the potentially debilitating nature of relapse. Key issues identified by the BMC report One is that many patients abandon treatment because of the difficulty of achieving uric acid target levels.

“However, simple blood tests such as the London Institute of Medical Research’s General Health Profile finger stick test can quickly and accurately measure uric acid levels in the blood to help people reach their goals and avoid subsequent flare-ups. Knowing your uric acid levels can also provide appropriate information to your health care professional if ULT treatment is required alongside other treatments such as dietary restrictions.

“Importantly, by taking a general health profile blood test, you can identify whether you have high uric acid levels and are at risk of developing a very painful gout flare before it happens.

“This test not only identifies high levels of uric acid, but also muscle and bone profiles, liver and kidney function, diabetes risk (by checking HbA1c levels), cholesterol levels, and iron levels.” London Medical Laboratory’s General Health Profile Blood Test can be taken at home via post. You can also take these tests at one of his many drop-in clinics, which offer these tests at over 120 carefully selected pharmacies and health stores in London and across the country.