In this article, you will get to know about the connection between osteoarthritis and gout. Can osteoarthritis be a factor to trigger gout attacks? Read on to this article to know!
Osteoarthritis and Gout: The condition
Osteoarthritis is one of the most common types of arthritis in the whole wide world. In fact, it affects one out of ten adults in North America. Furthermore, it affects women and men equally, especially at 60 years old and above. Moreover, osteoarthritis is also more common than the condition of gout. At this point in time, there is actually no treatment for osteoarthritis yet. However, if you are early to be diagnosed with the condition and take necessary actions to control the condition with the right treatment, you may delay the weakening of the joints.
What actually happens to those who suffer from osteoarthritis is that their cartilage starts to erode and decline slowly. Take note, the cartilage is the elastic part of the body, which protects and covers the bones and acts as a shock absorber. Thus, when it deteriorates, it may cause stiffness, swelling, and pain. Moreover, osteoarthritis grows slowly over a period of months and even years. Even though it may seem to be like gout, it is not.
Osteoarthritis and Gout: The connection between them
With the osteoarthritis, inflammation and swelling typically take place at the joints that are closest to the fingernail. On the other hand, in gout, it typically affects the big toes’ joints. The symptoms of osteoarthritis-like the stiffness may get worse all throughout the day in comparison to the gout stiffness, which is just present throughout the occurrence of the attack.
With osteoarthritis, one may suffer stiffness and pain in one or more of the joints in the body. This includes the joints in the elbows and knees. This way different from gout, because in gout, it is always in only one joint. Moreover, osteoarthritis is an ongoing and continuous disease that has no remissions in comparison with gout that’s just a metabolic disease.
The patient with osteoarthritis may experience weakness in the muscles, fatigue, deformity, bone enlargement, have the joints lock now and then, and experience limited movements. It is way more painful and indicative condition than gout.
Osteoarthritis and Gout: Studies say
There are various studies conducted regarding this particular topic. In the actual fact, there is a new evidence that appears to suggest that there is a possibility that the use of different uric acid-lowering medications like the allopurinol may be beneficial to those who are suffering from osteoarthritis. These medications may be beneficial in slowing down the progression of the condition as the uric acid may increase the severity of osteoarthritis in those patients.
Furthermore, there is one recent study that shows the number of those who suffer from gout that suffers from osteoarthritis later in their life. There is also a recent study that involves 75 men in the age of 55 and 85. They are divided into three groups of 25. The 25 of them have suffered from gout, the other 25 suffered from hyperuricemia. This just means that they actually had no symptoms from the higher uric acid levels in the blood. Lastly, the last group of 25 had suffered from neither.
What the researchers observed was that the group who suffered from gout took the highest total number of patients who suffer from osteoarthritis. Furthermore, the other group with hyperuricemia had about 52% who suffer from osteoarthritis. And the last group who suffer from neither of the two conditions had only about 28% of the patients who suffer from osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis and Gout: Conclusion
If you are still young, you don’t need to worry too much about this, the severity and the prevalence of the osteoarthritis are higher in old men who also suffer from gout. That you should be wary of this thing. You can avoid osteoarthritis by exercising, keeping the weight and the BMI on the check. Furthermore, you should also be following a strict gout diet. Through following various good precautions, you will be able to avoid the onset of osteoarthritis. By then, you will be able to enjoy life more!