Rheumatic Disease in Young Men: Gout

"Don't Delay, No Gout"

Turkey's first and established pharmaceutical company İbrahim Etem Menarini, with unconditional contributions, draws attention to gout disease on 22 May Gout Awareness Day with the "Don't Delay, No Gout" project. The project invites everyone to take action for their health and undergo regular check-ups, aiming to prevent fewer people from contracting the disease through timely intervention. Gout disease, known among the public as the "Sultan's Disease" or "King of Diseases," manifests with pain particularly in the big toe. Gout can be seen in many different joints of the body such as the ankle and knee, and is encountered rheumatically in young men. Characterized mostly by sudden pain, swelling, redness and sensitivity in the joint, gout disease can lead to many serious conditions ranging from permanent joint damage to kidney failure if left untreated. In our country, gout disease is unknown to many people or can be misperceived as contagious and chronic. Prof. Dr. Süleyman Özbek, Member of the Board of Directors of the Turkish Rheumatology Association, underscores the importance of creating awareness in society about the disease through the "Don't Delay, No Gout" project implemented within the scope of 22 May Gout Awareness Day and drawing attention to the importance of early diagnosis for disease prevention.

More Common in Young Men

Gout disease, which occurs with excess uric acid in the blood, draws attention as the most frequently encountered rheumatic disease in young men. Certain foods such as red meat, offal and seafood cause purines in the body to convert to uric acid, leading to gout disease. In particular, excessive alcohol consumption and foods such as fermented beverages can increase uric acid levels, inviting the disease. Prof. Dr. Süleyman Özbek, Member of the Board of Directors of the Turkish Rheumatology Association, noting that gout disease is characterized by sudden pain, swelling, redness and sensitivity in the joints and that pain begins first in the big toe, emphasizes that this disease progresses in attacks, stating: "An acute gout attack usually starts toward morning with unbearable, intolerable severe pain in the big toe joint, swelling, redness, sensitivity and increased heat. The pain and sensitivity in the joint becomes so severe that the person cannot put weight on their foot, cannot even wear socks or shoes. On the first day of the attack, the pain intensifies over time."

Early Diagnosis is Very Important

Prof. Dr. Süleyman Özbek, noting that gout disease can be seen together with other conditions such as diabetes, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, hypertension, atherosclerotic heart disease and obesity, underscores that gout disease consists of four stages. Emphasizing that early diagnosis is very important in gout disease as in all diseases, Prof. Dr. Özbek notes that if treatment of gout disease is delayed, it can lead to many serious conditions ranging from permanent joint damage to chronic kidney failure.

A Normal and Chronic Disease Like Allergy and Migraine

Although not very common in our country, there are many gout patients. This disease, present in a certain portion of the population, can be thought of as contagious, permanent and genetic. Prof. Dr. Süleyman Özbek, noting that gout disease is a normal and chronic disease like allergy and migraine, and drawing attention to the "Don't Delay, No Gout" project that encourages everyone to undergo check-ups for disease prevention. "Awareness campaigns conducted for many diseases yield beneficial results such as disease prevention, early diagnosis, and positive changes in clinical course. From this perspective, it is gratifying that for the first time in our country, gout disease activities are being created within the framework of a 'World Gout Disease Awareness Day,'" he said.