About Gout
People with gout have been caricatured and laughed at throughout the centuries – but for people living with the condition, it is anything but funny. Gout is in fact one of the most common forms of inflammatory arthritis worldwide. If you have ever had a gout attack, you may never have experienced pain quite like it. Find out all you need to know about gout here.
Check your risk
Answer our simple gout quiz to find out if you may be at increased risk of developing gout.
1. Are you male? Yes/No
2. Are you over the age of 40? Yes/No
3. Do other members of your family have gout? Yes/No
4. Do you drink more than 21 units of alcohol a week (if you are male) / or 14 units per week (if you are female)? Yes/No
5. Are you suffering from any of the following conditions? Yes/No
High blood pressure | Diabetes | Kidney disease/damage
High cholesterol | Angina | Long-term psoriasis
6. Are you overweight? Yes/No
7. Are you taking any of the following medications? Yes/No
Diuretics (water tablets) | Low dose aspirin
Niacin to treat high cholesterol
Anti-rejection drugs following organ transplantation
8. Do you drink a lot of sugary drinks e.g. cola? Yes/No
9. Do you eat a large amount of the following purine-rich foods Yes/No
beef | pork | bacon | lamb
seafood | liver | kidney
10. Do you ever experience painful attacks and inflammation in your joints, particularly the big toe? Yes/No
If you have answered ‘YES’ to more than six of the above questions, you may be at risk of gout. We recommend you seek advice from a medical professional.
Other resources
In addition to our own information, we have compiled a list of other useful sources of information. Please note that the Gout Society is not responsible for the content of external websites:
- Versus Arthritis: https://www.versusarthritis.org/
- Arthritis Action UK: https://www.arthritisaction.org.uk/
- British Society of Rheumatology: https://www.rheumatology.org.uk/
- Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance: http://arma.uk.net/
- NHS: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Gout/
- Equality Act 2010: https://www.gov.uk/definition-of-disability-under-equality-act-2010
