Recent research shows that adequate hydration is an important way to prevent dehydration and the onset of a gout attack.
Today, it’s estimated that 2 to 5 million Americans have gout, with most male victims suffering a first attack between 40 and 50 years of age. Women develop gout later, in the years following menopause.
Despite the longstanding belief, for most people, dietary indulgence is only one of several causes of gout. As with many diseases, one of the main problems is the underlying genetic condition that predisposes certain people to experience the accumulation of too much uric acid (hyperuricemia). Diet, however, does exert an influence for those predisposed to gout.
Researchers now believe that climatic factors such as heat and humidity that lead to dehydration can signal a future attack for gout sufferers.
Depleting the body of fluids through perspiration has long been considered a potential trigger for recurrent gout attacks. To test the suspected effects of humidity and temperature on the chances of recurrent gout attacks, researchers recruited 197 individuals who had experienced a gout attack within the past year. Participants were asked to log onto a study Web site when they experienced a gout attack and complete a questionnaire on the risk factors they had experienced the two days prior (known as the hazard period). They also were asked to complete the same questionnaire on experiences over a two-day control period.
Climatic data on temperature, barometric pressure, humidity, and precipitation for each participant’s ZIP code, obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, was then compared between hazard period and control period. Adjustments were made for alcohol consumption, purine intake, and diuretic use. Study results indicated that:
- High temperature and high humidity were strongly associated with increased risk of a recurrent gout attack.
- Risk of recurrent gout attacks increased almost two-fold when the maximum daily temperature increased from 0–53° F to 87–105 ° F. A similar magnitude of increased risk also was found when the humidity increased from a dew point of 4–32°F to 64–77°F.
- Barometric pressure and precipitation appeared to have no influence.
"Our data indicate that both high temperature and high humidity are associated with an increased risk of recurrent gout attacks,” explains Yuquing Zhang, D.Sc., Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology at Boston University School of Medicine in Boston and an investigator in the study. "Thus, when it’s hot and humid, those with gout should consider drinking more fluids to avoid potentially painful gout attacks.”
