Where does gout come from? Traditionally, researchers have linked its onset to excessive alcohol consumption, poor diet, kidney disease, obesity, environmental factors, and aging.
Gout happens when excess uric acid forms crystals that settle on joint surfaces. Because its symptoms overlap with arthritis—intense pain and joint swelling—gout is often classified as a type of arthritis. But in rheumatoid arthritis, patients develop rheumatoid nodules, while gout causes tophi: cartilage-like deposits that are softer in consistency.
What Did the Scientists Discover?
A recent large-scale study analyzed health data from 2.6 million people across 13 different cohorts. Among the participants were 120,295 people with gout, as reported by Science Alert.
By comparing the genetic data of people with gout to those without it, the team identified 377 DNA regions where genetic variations linked to the disease appeared. Of these, 149 had never been tied to gout before.
While lifestyle and environmental factors also influence gout, the team confirmed that genetics plays the primary role in its onset.
“Gout is a chronic disease with a genetic basis, and it is not the fault of the patient. The myth that gout is caused by lifestyle or diet needs to be dispelled,” asserts Professor Toni Merriman from the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Otago (New Zealand).
Why Is This New Research Important?
The study found genetics plays a role at every stage of gout development. It particularly affects the immune system’s ability to respond to uric acid crystals, and it influences how uric acid is distributed in the body.
There are already effective treatments for gout, but the authors say people often hesitate to seek medical help because of myths about the disease’s causes.
“People suffering from gout often do so in silence and do not go to the doctor for medication that lowers uric acid levels in the blood and prevents pain,” said Professor Merriman.
Beyond clarifying gout’s causes, the research opens paths to new treatments, especially approaches that manage the immune response to uric acid accumulation.
The results of the study were published in the journal Nature Genetics.
