Gout increases heart attack risk in women

By April Clarkson, April 23rd, 2013 | Health | 0 Comments

Gout is a common condition which is caused by inflammation of the joints arising from uric acid deposits. Uric acid is a break down product of purines, which are abundant components of the Western diet. Risk factors for gout include obesity, alcohol intake, high blood pressure, certain drugs and kidney disease. Gout increases the risk of a heart attack among men but, till now, little has been known of any associated risk in women.

Researchers at the University of British Columbia, Canada, report a study of nearly 10,000 patients with gout and around 48,000 patients without gout, all aged 65 or more. All the patients came from the British Columbia Linked Health Database, covering the entire province. The heart health of all the participants was tracked for around seven years, during which time there were 3268 fatal and non-fatal heart attacks, of which one third occurred among women. Compared to women who did not have gout, those that did were 39% more likely to have a heart attack, and 41% more likely to have a non-fatal heart attack. In fact, the risks were significantly higher among women than men. Men with gout were 11% more likely to have a heart attack than those without the disease. It may be that excess uric acid boosts levels of inflammation and platelet clumping, both of which could make a heart attack more likely. Other types of arthritis, as well as gout, also increase the risk of heart attack, maybe for this reason.