Gout the 'Victorian Disease' generally associated with Port drinkers, according to a recent press article is on the rise. It seems that just one pint of beer a day can be the cause of this condition. Scientists analysed health records of 400,000 Brits who downed a pint a day and concluded that men were 60% more likely to suffer this form of arthritis which affects the joints and can cause excruciating pain. it was even more pronounced among women at 62%.
Beer contains high levels of purines, and drinking beer daily can more than double your risk of developing gout, although consumption of any type of alcohol may pose additional risks. This is because alcohol increases the production of uric acid and reduces how much is removed from the body in the urine.
it is generally publicised that two pints and more per day can bring on gout, so this article is a red flag to beer drinkers who thought they were in the safe zone by just having the one. Gout typically develops in stages, in the first stage, uric acid levels are rising and there are no symptoms, in the second stage you will start to experience painful attacks known as flares. As gout progresses the pain will intensify affecting more joints with time between flares shortening.
Historically it was known as 'the disease of kings' because it hit middle-aged men and was thought to be caused by overindulgence on rich foods and wine, such as port. Monarchs including King Henry VIII and Queen Victoria suffered from it. According to Arthritis UK, 1.5 million folk in Briton suffer from this debilitating condition. Severe cases have surged with more than 200,000 people hospitalised each year. It primarily affects the feet.
In the new study, researchers tracked the drinking habits of 401,128 UK persons aged between 37 and 73 and free of gout. Over a follow- up of 13 years, the scientists discovered the risk of gout rose the more beer people consume, a man who drank two or three pints a week on average, had an 18 per cent higher chance of getting gout than a non-drinker. The risk more than doubled in those downing more than seven pints a week. Among other drinks, one glass of red wine per day increased the likelihood of developing gout by 12 per cent among men, by comparison, the study revealed that this was not the case regarding women. White wine and champagne also slightly raised the gout risk in both sexes.
You can get gout if you do not consume alcohol but obviously the risk is higher even with modest drinking.
