Arthritis Health Center

Gout is caused by too much uric acid in the blood (hyperuricemia). Hyperuricemia usually does no harm, and many people with high levels of uric acid in the blood never develop gout. The exact cause of hyperuricemia sometimes is not discovered, although inherited factors (genes) seem to play a role. When uric acid levels in the blood are too high, uric acid may form crystals that build up in the joints. Gout can seem to flare up without specific cause or can be brought on by factors such as:

• Certain conditions related to diet and body weight, such as:
  • Obesity.
  • Moderate to heavy alcohol ingestion, particularly beer.
  • A diet rich in meat and seafood (high-purine foods).
  • Very low-calorie diets.
• Medicines that may increase uric acid concentration, such as:
  • Regular use of aspirin or niacin.
  • Medicines that reduce the amount of salt and water in the body (diuretics).
  • Medicines that cause rapid cell death (chemotherapy, usually used to treat cancer).
  • Medicines that suppress the immune system, such as cyclosporine, that are used to prevent your body from rejecting an organ transplant.
• Major illness or certain medical conditions, such as:
  • Rapid weight loss, as might happen in hospitalized patients who have changes in diet or medicines.
  • Chronic kidney disease.
  • High blood pressure.
  • Conditions that cause an abnormal rapid turnover of cells, such as psoriasis, multiple myeloma, hemolytic anemia, or tumors.
  • Lead poisoning.
  • Hypothyroidism.
• Surgery.
• Having been born with a rare condition that causes high blood uric acid levels. People with Kelley-Seegmiller syndrome or Lesch-Nyhan syndrome have a partial or complete deficiency in an enzyme that helps to control uric acid levels.