For many Americans, it might seem like gout is an old time disease that is no longer around. Many people in the past suffered from this malady. Even King Henry VIII and Ben Franklin suffered from this painful condition. But if you think gout is an old time disease, you’d be wrong.
In fact, gout is on the move in the modern world.
With data from 195 countries, there were roughly 41.2 million cases of gout worldwide in 2017. This included 92 new diagnosed cases per 100,000 people, an increase of 5.5% from 1990.
Causes of Gout
Gout is a painful form of arthritis that is caused by a buildup in uric acid in the blood. And often the uric crystals cause pain to the joints. Men and older women who are past menopause are most susceptible to this disease.
Treatments for This Returning Disease
There are several ways to deal with gout besides a diet low in alcohol, preservatives, and organ meats. Allopurinol lowers the risk of uric acid, and is known to staunch an attack. NSAIDs also help with inflammation, but when it comes to Ibuprofen, not not everyone can take it. The difficulties are that many people who suffer from gout have many comorbidities so doctors don’t know exactly how to treat it.
New Therapies to Combat it
Recently, a few new therapies have come to light which could help with this burgeoning disease. Dr Daoussis’ team thinks adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), could be a good alternative. This hormone, which stimulates the adrenal glands to produce steroids, also belongs to a group of proteins called melanocortins that play a role in immune response.
More recently, researchers at Washington State University and elsewhere have been testing a new way to suppress inflammation. They are targeting a molecule called TAK-1 that plays a role in the body’s immune response, in a bid to create new therapies.
For an old disease, science is turning to some new technologies to help with the serious pain patients feel with a gout flare up. Hopefully the day is soon when the pain can be eradicated altogether.
