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Gout is a painful, even debilitating, arthritic condition afflicting more than 9 million Americans. Yet although the disease’s causes and effective treatments are known, millions of gout patients suffer needlessly because of inequities in diagnosis, treatment and access to care. 

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Learning to live with gout looks different for every patient. But as a recent survey from the Alliance for Gout Awareness found, most patients experience unnecessary hardship on their journey to obtaining a diagnosis and effective treatment plan.

There are more than one hundred types of arthritis, but gout is among the most common and the most painful.

Gout and kidney disease can be a lethal combination.

Imagine for a moment your bathroom sink. Water flows from the faucet and drips down around the base. Over time, you will see mineral deposits if the area is not properly cleaned. This is an apt analogy for gout.

The father of medicine, Hippocrates, did not know that uric acid causes inflammatory arthritis in the joints known as gout. But even 2,500 years ago, before the disease had a name, he noted men’s particular vulnerability to the disease.

Many people have heard of gout. They may even know that it’s a form of inflammatory arthritis that usually attacks joints. But it’s doubtful they know that 9 million Americans suffer from it. Or how painful and debilitating attacks can be.

Gout Awareness Day – May 22 – offers an opportunity to get up to speed.

Joints become red, swollen and painful. For people with gout, these are telltale signs of an attack. But research suggests gout patients should also watch for signs of another event – a heart attack.

Gout has quickly become a problem of global proportion. The disease, a debilitating form of inflammatory arthritis, has doubled in prevalence over recent decades.