Women's Health

Age, Drinking Raise Women's Gout Risk

Gout Risk and Diet

Many people associate gout with eating large amounts of meat -- especially organ meats, which contain high levels of purine.

But diet was not among the major risk factors identified in the study.

Rheumatologist Patience White, MD, tells WebMD that women and men who want to avoid gout need to watch their weight, blood pressure, and alcohol consumption.

White is chief public health officer for the Arthritis Foundation and a professor of medicine and pediatrics at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

"Diet plays a role, but it is a drop in the bucket," she says.

She says that more and more women are likely to get gout as the population ages. "Women need to understand that their gout risk goes up after menopause."

White adds that at the population level, women are heavier than they have ever been and they are drinking more alcohol.