by KYW's medical editor Dr. Brian McDonough
A short time ago I spoke about gout and we received many questions about it. As I mentioned, gout is occurring more commonly than before.
Uric acid is the culprit that causes gout. When levels of uric acid are high in someone’s blood, crystals of the chemical form in joints causing pain and disability.
But we are learning something new. Even in people with what are considered high normal levels of uric acid, a negative effect is seen. Among elderly adults, those who were in the highest 25% of the normal range, men and women, for uric acid, also performed in the lowest 25% of the population on a variety of other areas - areas unrelated to joint pain, the number one symptom of gout.
Mental functions like memory, processing speed, and psychomotor speed were effected. There appears to be a pretty substantial relationship between uric acid and cognitive function, at least in late life. With this added information and the fact that gout is occurring more often, measuring uric acid levels may soon become routine.
E-Mail Story
Print Story
