Does gout increase your risk of heart attack or stroke?

Cardiovascular disease accounts for around a quarter of all deaths in Australia, and while genetics does come into play, lifestyle factors can also increase our risk of heart attack and stroke. Recently, scientists discovered that having gout, a common form of arthritis, may also be another risk factor in the months after a flare up.

What is gout?

Gout is a type of arthritis that can occur when uric acid builds up in the bloodstream and forms urate crystals in a joint. It can appear suddenly as joint pain, swelling and redness, most often affecting toes, feet, ankles, knees, elbows, wrists or fingers. Symptoms can flare up and may last a few days with treatment, and up to two weeks without treatment.

Why does gout increase risk for heart attack and stroke?

This is new information, just published in the American Medical Association’s JAMA journal, which looked at a study of 62,574 people with gout. What the authors found was that “patients who suffered a heart attack or stroke were twice as likely to have had a gout flare in the 60 days prior to the [cardiovascular] event, and one and a half times more likely to have a gout flare in the preceding 61–120 days.”

What this shows is that after a gout flare-up, the risk of heart attack or stroke is increased in the following four months.

Who is at risk?

Gout affects around 4.5 per cent of Australians, and is more common in males than females. InstantScripts medical director Dr Andrew Thompson says there are several risk factors for having gout.

“These include being overweight and drinking alcohol, eating a diet high in purines such as red meat, organ meat (kidney, liver and heart) and tinned fish,” he says.

“Certain medications such as diuretics, commonly known as water pills, also increase your chances of a gout attack.” 

What to do if you have gout

One of the most effective ways to reduce your risk of having gout that may lead to heart attack or stroke, is to reduce your gout risk factors and manage flare ups if they happen.

To reduce your risk, it could help to:

• maintain a healthy body weight
• drink alcohol in moderation and avoid binge drinking
• drink plenty of water
• reduce your consumption of red and/or organ meats
• exercise regularly
• ensure you have your gout medication

If you do have gout flare ups, working closely with a doctor to treat flare ups as they arise can help to reduce the length and severity of the flare ups.

This article was written by Carolyn Tate, a Brisbane-based writer with a particular interest in women’s health, mental health and living well. Carolyn holds a Bachelor of Professional Writing and a Bachelor of Political Science.

Sources:

https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/news/flare-ups-of-gout-are-linked-to-heart-attack-and-stroke

https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/gout

https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/heart-stroke-vascular-diseases/hsvd-facts/contents/about

https://www.healthline.com/health/how-long-does-gout-last

https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/chronic-musculoskeletal-conditions/gout/contents/what-is-gout