Certain medications promote gout in the body. Thus gout is also an iatrogenic illness: an illness caused by prescription drugs! Drugs that have been prescribed to control blood pressure (like hydrochlorothiazide) could lead to accumulation of uric acid crystals in the joints. In the same way, certain side effects of medicines can also cause the accumulation of uric acid and thus lead to gout.

Exposure to lead in the environment has been known to cause severe gout. This happens because lead severely impairs the functioning of the kidneys. Kidneys are vital in the filtration and removal of uric acid. Hyperuricemia is the result. In due course of time, this develops into painful gout. Lead can also cause renal failure and that shoots up the probability of developing gout.

Uric acid gets into the human system via diet. It has been found that excessive consumption of proteins and foods rich in purines increase the probability of a person developing gout. This only goes to prove the benefits of moderation. Anything in excess is harmful and everything must be in its limits. Whether purine-rich foods cause gout or not, they have certainly been known to aggravate the condition. The study mentioned above also showed that people who ate proteins in the form of meat and seafood increased their chances of developing gout. However, beans, peas, mushrooms, cauliflowers and spinach proteins did not have this adverse effect. Another strong point for going vegetarian!

Drinking alcohol is another precursor of gout. Alcohol interferes with the proper removal of uric acid from the body. Thus, it leads to a condition known as hyperuricemia, which is characterized by accumulation of excess uric acid in the body. Researchers in the US have shown in a recent reported study of 47,150 men that alcohol definitely played a big role in the development of gout. 730 of these men, who drank alcohol, had developed gout within 12 years of the first drink.

Looks like being overweight is a sure invitation to a host of diseases and disease conditions. Being overweight makes available more tissues for breakdown. As more tissues breakdown, there is greater production and release of uric acid, and thus the probability of gout increases. Keeping in good shape and maintaining muscle tone are a good ways of ensuring that one is not exposed to developing gout.

These two have been found to play a significant role in the expression of gout. Men are far more susceptible to it than women. This is attributed to the increased amount of uric acid in the male body. Uric acid production increases dramatically with the onset of puberty and keeps increasing thereafter. On the other hand, women experience gout only after menopause. This is because, estrogen, which keeps the uric acid levels in check, decreases in the female body after menopause. Since uric acid accumulation is a prerequisite of gout, it is far more common in adults than in children and its probability of occurrence increases with age.

Research shows that one of the leading causes of gout may be genetic. Statistics show that almost 18 percent of those suffering from gout have had a family history of the disease. After studying the genetics of more than 18,000 people, researchers have discovered that a gene variant, SLC2A9, known as the transporter of fructose, may either increase or decrease the chances of gout. This happens because the presence of the gene variant impedes and obstructs the ability of our kidneys to filter away the uric acid from the bloodstream. Since the gene is a key player in the efficiency of uric acid transport, gout can be attributed to genetic causes.

There is also the problem of enzyme defects in people with a family history of gout. This enzyme is necessary for the breakdown of purines and its defect leads to faster development of gout.