Review of Late Onset Gout and Gouty Arthritis
Title: Gouty arthritis. A primer on late-onset
gout.
Authors: Ene-Stroescu D, Gorbien MJ
Publications: Geriatrics. 2005 Jul;60(7):24-31.
Gouty arthritis is the most common form of inflammatory arthritis
in older people. In this article, the authors reviewed the cause
of hyperuricemia (excessively high levels of uric acid in the
blood), gout, and clinical forms of gouty arthritis.
Gout can be present if the patients are obese, or have diabetes
mellitus, hyperlipidemia (excess fats or lipids in the blood),
and coronary artery disease. Therefore, patients should be counseled
on gout if they have any of these conditions.
The authors reviewed general management of gout, and particularly
significant clinical manifestation of gout including increased
incidence in women, presence in multiple joints starting with
those in the hand, earlier development of gouty deposits or tophi,
and association with use of diuretics or medications that increase
the discharge of urine.
The authors also presented barriers against optimal control of
gout, such as lack of patient education, use of multiple drugs
such as diuretics, decline in cognitive function, and presence
of other medical conditions in addition to gout, particularly
kidney problems. The authors then concluded that gout management
in older adults remained unsatisfactory.
