Famous People That Suffered From Gout
From tabloid magazines at the supermarket to lavish Oscar award ceremonies on TV, our society can’t seem to get enough of our favorite celebrities. Even amongst the most casual of fans, we can barely resist the urge to at least take a peek at the latest celebrity gossip.
We look up to our favorite celebrities as role models that demonstrate traits and characteristics we would like to achieve one day. So when news hits that a celebrity has suffered from a painful medical condition like gout, we are suddenly reminded that they are humans after all.
By using their star power to raise awareness of the importance of diagnosing and treating gout, celebrities can have a positive impact on their legion of fans.
Cases of gout are on the rise
Gout is a serious and very painful form of inflammatory arthritis that affects over 8 million people in the US alone. Recent studies show the cases have been increasing over the past 2 decades. America’s ongoing crisis with obesity and high blood pressure stand out as the leading causes.
However, unless you’ve been personally affected by it, you might not know gout even exists today. This is especially true when you consider the fact that centuries ago, gout was nothing more than a “rich man’s disease.”
Unfortunately, gout is very much alive and well in 2021. As life expectancies continue to expand, people are more likely to gain weight. This explains why we are seeing more cases of women with gout.
At a time where we have effective treatments and medicines to drastically mitigate the effects of gout, the rise in cases worldwide seems counterintuitive. That’s because the most effective way to treat gout is committing to a serious lifestyle change.
Needless to say, it’s a much more difficult solution than drinking pills.
That’s why celebrities are doing their part in shedding light on this painful and disabling condition. Here are some of the famous people that are helping bring gout awareness into the mainstream.
Famous people that suffered from gout
- Anthony ‘Spice’ Adams:
Football fans will easily recognize Anthony ‘Spice’ Adams as the former NFL defensive tackle for the San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Bears. His impressive career in football lasted from 2003 up until 2011.
Back in his playing days, Anthony was required to keep his strength and weight up as was expected for pro linemen. As a professional NFL athlete, Anthony kept in tip-top physical form. His special diet entailed consuming large quantities of red meat to keep his protein level to the max.
By the time he was 25, he started getting mysterious sharp pains in his feet. Doctors initially suspected a stress fracture but the X-rays never revealed said fractures.
4 years later, Anthony was finally diagnosed with hyperuricemia. You see, although Anthony was in incredibly good shape, his large intake of red meat led to excessive levels of purine. This caused the body to create too much uric acid which eventually led to the development of gout.
Anthony’s experience with gout was so painful that he began educating himself on what gout was and how to prevent it. Anthony is now a social media influencer and has talked on videos about his experience with gout.
2. Jared Leto:
Jared Leto is a popular current-generation actor and musician (he plays in the band, 30 Seconds to Mars) known for his stirring performances in movies like “The Suicide Squad” and “Fight Club”.
His acting skills earned him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in the film, “Dallas Buying Club”, where he worked with A-list actor, Matthew McConaughey.
His determination to make his roles as authentic as possible drove him to gain a whopping 65-lbs for his role in the 2007 film, “Chapter 27.” In this film, Jared played the role of Mark Chapman, more commonly known as the overweight and mentally-deranged shooter of the legendary John Lennon.
Needless to say, the abrupt and explosive weight gain endured by Jared had a significant impact on his overall health. He maintained a terribly poor diet which eventually led to a strong gout attack which he will never forget.
In his past interviews, he described having to move around in a wheelchair because the pain from his gout flare-ups made walking long distances all but impossible.
Thankfully, once he completed his role, he was determined to get back to his normal weight. The process was anything but easy as he went without food for 10 days straight. It would be another year until Jared got to the level of weight that felt “normal” again.
3. David Wells:
Although baseball is not really a contact sport, it does require A LOT of repetitive motions that can take a major toll on your body over time. Many players retire and keep their injuries well into their retirement years.
David Wells was a highly-respected pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees. He was also a gout sufferer WHILE he played in Major League Baseball. Throughout his career, he was plagued with many injuries and his gout condition only made things worse. In fact, he’s talked about the many times he considered quitting.
His experiences with gout should be enough to motivate people into making immediate lifestyle changes. David suffered gout attacks in both feet and famously described his experience with gout in his 2003 autobiography as being akin to “someone drilling a hole in my big toe.”
David Wells suffered such severe symptoms that his only way to manage the pain was through taking high doses of the anti-inflammatory drug, Naproxen. More importantly, he also learned the importance of preventing gout attacks by keeping a close eye on his weight.
Nevertheless, David was able to successfully manage his gout symptoms which enabled him to have a very successful athletic career.
4. Dick Cheney:
Former US VP earned worldwide notoriety for being among the most powerful VPs in history. So it came as a big surprise when the man who was first in line to succeed then-President Bush, was suddenly rushed to George Washington University hospital back in 2006 at around 3 am.
Unsurprisingly, the details of his condition were under very tight wraps. However, the inevitable leakage of information eventually started making its way to the media.
At that time, Cheney was a 64-year-old man who had already suffered 4 heart attacks. In the details, however, it was also revealed that Cheney was experiencing a “shortness of breath” due to a reaction he had to an anti-inflammatory drug to treat a “preexisting foot condition.”
It later became apparent that his reaction to the medication was causing him to retain fluid. Still, there was very little mention of what his foot condition was really about. During the next few days, Cheney was seen walking around with a cane whenever he made public appearances.
With public speculation running at fever-pitch levels, Cheney’s former spokeswoman Lea Anne Mcbride offered a few details. She mentioned that many of the symptoms that the former VP suffered were similar to gout attacks.
However, many other symptoms typically associated with gout attacks, like the acute pain and elevated levels of uric acid, were simply absent.
It turns out that the medications being given to former VP Cheney may have been triggering other reactions that caused gout attacks. This is typical in drugs that treat high blood pressure and which can also reduce blood flow in the kidneys which can lead to fluid building up in the lungs.
5. Emmitt Smith:
Emmitt Smith is a Pro Football Hall of Famer and 3-time Super Bowl Champion. His career in the NFL spanned a period of 14 seasons and even won first place on the hit TV show, Dancing With the Stars.
Emmitt Smith is another example of an incredibly fit and active athlete whose bouts with gout were nothing less than extraordinary. He recalls his first experience with a gout attack as an unbearable pain in his foot.
His walk had changed dramatically and at the end of the day, this strong man couldn’t bear the pain of even wearing socks on his foot.
Emmitt’s experience with gout was so painful and surprising that in 2013 he became a spokesman for Champions of Gout Awareness. After spending a large part of his career avoiding tackles and scoring touchdowns, Emmitt Smith felt the need to turn all his efforts into trying to tackle gout.
As an advocate for gout awareness and prevention, Emmitt Smith encourages victims of gout to seek treatment and medications from their doctors. He also recommends educating yourself on gout as much as possible.
His ability to manage the conditions that can lead to gout flare-ups enables him to eat many of his favorite foods including smoked ribs and salmon. As he says, it’s all about seeking and maintaining the right balance so that your uric acid levels are adequate.
As you can see, celebrities from all walks of life have dealt with the painful conditions created by gout flare-ups. They all found ways to manage their gout conditions so hopefully, their stories can inspire gout sufferers to seek help and live a life of quality.
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Disclaimer: This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional for any health concerns.
