Can losing weight trigger a gout attack?

Being overweight increases the risk of developing gout and losing weight reduces the risk of gout. Research suggests that reducing calories and losing weight, even without a purine-restricted diet, lowers uric acid levels and reduces the number of gout attacks. Your diet is very important in gout; certain foods are known to cause attacks. But a diet that simply eliminates purine-rich foods may not be enough.

A better approach, doctors say, is to adopt a healthy, whole-grain form of eating, such as the DASH diet or the Mediterranean diet. Both limit red meat, sugar and processed foods and focus on fresh fruits and vegetables, some whole grains, and healthy fats such as olive oil. Exercise and weight loss also lower uric acid levels and help prevent gout outbreaks. In a small trial, patients who lost 16 pounds reduced their uric acid levels by 3 points.

You can control gout if you really stick to good lifestyle choices, Dr. Weight gain during adulthood was associated with an increased risk of gout. These findings have highlighted that maintaining non-obese weight and losing weight during adulthood is essential for the prevention and treatment of gout in adult life. Bariatric patients have been documented to see an increase in short-term gout attacks.

Rapid weight loss is known to cause uric acid buildup and, after bariatric surgery, a very low calorie diet and rapid weight loss seem to trigger gout attacks. Rapid weight loss among patients with gout increases the risk of a gout attack. This is because losing weight quickly can trigger a rapid release of uric acid in the body. Too much uric acid is what causes the painful symptoms of gout.

More recently, experts have started to think about diet differently. Rather than trying to figure out which individual foods to avoid, the important thing is to follow a healthy diet and try to lose weight if you're overweight or obese. Only losing weight can lower uric acid levels. Drinking plenty of fluids is also helpful.

But limit sugary drinks and alcohol, as they can increase uric acid levels. Third, the definition of gout in epidemiological studies varies and includes, either in isolation or in combination, gout diagnosed by the physician based on history and examination, prescribing practices, and the analysis of health care data sets or coding systems. Another feature that can make weight-loss surgery a perfect option for people with obesity who have had trouble controlling their diet and have had recurrent gout is the ability to regularly and efficiently control gout. The state of gout was determined by a self-report of a previous diagnosis, and the age at the time of diagnosis was used to establish the time of onset of gout.

Self-information about gout diagnosed by a physician had a sensitivity of 84% compared to that of the reference standard, which was defined as a diagnosis of gout upon hospital discharge or the use of specific medications for gout (colchicine, probenecid, allopurinol). Losing weight alone can lower blood levels of uric acid, as well as the number of gout attacks, preventing hyperuricemia, so it's obvious that if you're overweight and gout, immediately consider losing weight with whatever method you want. However, another study conducted at the University of Auckland in New Zealand also suggests that patients with gout who are obese may benefit from bariatric surgery, which will control the crystallization of uric acid in the joints, further prevent gout attacks and reduce inflammation caused by loss of weight. Patients with gout should work with medical professionals who can help both lose weight and manage symptoms of gout.

While the relationship between obesity and incident gout has been clarified, the influence of weight changes during the transition from early adulthood to middle age and the different patterns of weight change in specific age ranges on the incidence of gout in old age is unknown. For many years, there has been a misconception that simply changing the diet will help keep gout under control. If you're determined to lose weight, it's important to avoid intensive diets at all costs, as losing weight quickly and going hungry for long periods of time can increase uric acid levels in your body and cause you to have an unwanted gout attack. Fortunately, recent clinical data show a positive relationship between gout and weight-loss surgery, which is giving patients with gout renewed hope to combat this painful condition.

People with gout can help themselves by adding citrus fruits and other vitamin C-rich foods (such as strawberries and peppers) to their diet. . .