Gout (Hyperuricemia): Prevention

To prevent hyperuricemia or gout, attention must be paid to reducing individual risk factors.

Behavioral risk factors

  • Diet
    • Increased dietary purine intake, e.g., due to excessive meat consumption (especially offal)
    • Sugar substitutes sorbitol, xylitol and fructose in high doses – The consumption of soft drinks and the associated high intake of fructose leads to an increased risk of hyperuricemia or gout.
    • Fructose-containing beverages (fructose-sweetened soft drinks or even orange juice) lead to an increased risk for hyperuricemia in
      • Women who drank one fructose-sweetened beverage per day: 1.74-fold risk; ≥ 2 glasses: 2.39-fold risk
      • Men who drank one one fructose-containing drink per day: 1.45-fold risk; ≥ 2 glasses: 1.85-fold risk
    • High fat diet
    • Fasting → Decreased renal uric acid excretion.
    • Vitamin A-rich diet or, if necessary, vitamin A overdose through supplements.
    • Micronutrient deficiency (vital substances) – see prevention with micronutrients.
  • Consumption of stimulants
    • Alcohol (abuse), especially beer (also non-alcoholic beer) (woman: > 40 g/day; man: > 60 g/day)
  • Overweight (BMI ≥ 25; obesity).

Environmental pollution – intoxications (poisonings).

  • Beryllium
  • Lead – lead nephropathy (disease of the kidneys caused by lead poisoning).

Prevention factors

  • Weight reduction lowers the risk of developing gout.
  • A high-carbohydrate, low-glycemic index (GI) diet significantly (-0.11 mg/dl) lowered uric acid levels; in contrast, a low-carbohydrate, high-GI diet increased uric acid levels by 0.16 mg/dl. Reducing the GI while increasing carbohydrates decreased uric acid levels by 0.27 mg/dl.
  • Foods that were associated with reduced uric acid levels: Eggs, peanuts, cheese, cold cereal, skim milk, margarine, brown bread, and non-citrus fruits (i.e., avoiding oranges, tangerines, lemons, and grapefruit).