A new study out of the United Kingdom suggests that gout, a form of inflammatory arthritis in the toe, may increase a person’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes, especially in women.
Researchers tracked more than 35,000 gout sufferers and found that women with gout were 71 percent more likely to develop diabetes compared to a person without gout. Men with gout saw a 22 percent increase in their risk of developing diabetes.
“Gout seems to be contributing to the risk of diabetes independently of other diabetes risk factors, such as obesity,” said lead researcher Dr. Hyon Choi. “The association is clearly there, but why that is so isn’t known,” Choi said.
Understanding the relationship between gout and diabetes “is essential,” according to Choi. Currently, more than 3 million Americans currently suffer from gout.
What is Gout?
Gout occurs when excess uric acid to builds up in the body. These excess deposits settle in a person’s joints in the form needle-like crystals.
Gout causes significant pain and swelling in a person’s joints, and oftentimes the condition forms in a person’s feet. The joint of the big toe is the most common spot for gout to form.
The best way to prevent gout is also the best way to reduce your risk of diabetes; Eat a healthy diet, watch your cholesterol, and maintain a health weight.
Dr. Silverman comments
This is a neat study, and although it lacks causation it’s interesting to note that both gout cases and diabetes levels have increased in the past decade.
It’s clear that the authors hope to find a causal relationship between gout and diabetes, but for now, we’ll simply have to follow their advice of eating right, maintaining healthy cholesterol and blood pressure levels, and regular exercise. There’s no clear link that gout leads to diabetes, but hopefully it can serve as a wakeup call for some people. If you have gout, make healthy decisions or you might soon find it hard to regulate your glucose levels.
Related source: Web MD