High Uric Acid and Cardiovascular Disease

Gout is a lifelong condition that affects the joints. It’s caused by excess uric acid where if too much of it builds up in one joint, it can result in a painful gout attack. This is why gout patients are told to manage their uric acid making sure it does not go at high levels.

If you suffer from gout, you’ve also probably been advised by your doctor to take care of your heart health. This is because gout raises your risk for cardiovascular diseases. There’s already a lot of studies to support that gout is associated with higher risk for heart failure.

One notable study was conducted by Lisandro D. Colantonio and his colleagues at University of Alabama. They observed that patients who had gout had an elevated risk for heart failure. This is related to factors such as high uric acid levels, inflammation, oxidative stress, and insulin resistance.

Another study done by researchers at Duke University had found that out of 17,201 patients, 1406 of those had gout. These patients with gout were currently being treated for cardiovascular risk factors. They followed up 6.4 years later and discovered those patients who had gout, despite receiving aggressive medical therapy, had experienced worse heart problems compared to the other patients. In fact, their risk for having a heart attack or stroke was 15% higher than those patients who didn’t have gout.

This is important information that you, as a gout sufferer should know about. Many patients will think gout is just an isolated condition they have. That it’s just a pain in one area of the body. They don’t realize that it’s highly associated with heart health as well. This is what makes gout such an insidious disease. It makes you think you’re only having pain in one part of your body. But the truth is, your other organs such as your heart are affected as well.

Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in North America. So if you value your health and your life, you should take the steps now to ensure that you’re not just treated for gout, but for your heart as well.

How to Lower Your Risk for Heart Disease?

1. Know your risk

Aside from gout, there are other factors that can contribute to your risk being higher. This is just some of them:

● Being of the age between 40 and 75

● Being make

● Having kidney disease

● Having family history of early heart disease

● Having high blood pressure

● Having a poor diet

● Smoking

● Having high blood cholesterol levels

● Having diabetes

● Being overweight or obese

● Stress

● Lack of exercise

● Poor dental health

Now that you know what the risk factors are, you can get an idea of how likely you are to have a heart disease and find ways to reduce your risk.

2. Control your blood pressure

High blood pressure means you are at high risk for heart disease. This is why it is important to monitor your blood pressure regularly. Consider investing in a blood pressure monitor so you can always check your status. Knowing where you stand allows you to make lifestyle modifications so you can prevent any complications in the future.

3. Maintain a healthy weight

If you are currently overweight or obese, now is the time to loss those excess pounds. Your doctor may have probably advised you to lose weight when you got diagnosed for gout. But knowing how it’s also related to heart health, it’s important that you get to your ideal weight and keep it that way. This can be done by exercising regularly and eating a healthy diet. When you are at a healthy weight, you also lower your risk factors for high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, and triglyceride levels.

4. Manage your cholesterol and triglyceride levels

Speaking of triglyceride levels, this is one area you should also pay attention to. High levels of triglyceride can increase your risk for coronary artery disease. High cholesterol levels can also result in clogged arteries making you at risk for a heart attack and coronary artery disease.

5. Get moving

Make it a point to exercise regularly. It will not only help you lose weight, it will also improve the blood circulation in your body and strengthen your heart. Since you have gout, you need to be careful about what kind of exercises you do. Thankfully, cardiovascular exercises are just perfect for gout patients. They are just the right intensity to get your heart pumping without putting you at risk for injury.

6. Get adequate sleep

Not getting enough sleep has been associated with diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure. These are the top three risk factors that make you a candidate for heart disease. So do yourself a favor and get enough sleep at night. Everyone is different so just because someone can get by on 7 hours of sleep doesn’t mean that you can too. Figure out a magic number where you feel the most rested and stick to that.

If you still don’t feel rested enough even after 9 hours of sleep, you might have sleep apnea. This is when you briefly stop breathing many times during your sleep. As a result, you don’t feel as well rested. Gout has been associated with sleep apnea where if you have it, your odds for experiencing a gout attack are higher. If you find out that you do have sleep apnea, make sure to get treatment for it right away.

7. Manage your stress

Stress can literally kill you. No, seriously. It may seem like a minor thing to get stressed every now and then but it all adds up over time. It can be easy to fall into unhealthy habits when you’re feeling stressed. You might binge eat, drink, or smoke. Those can help relieve stress but they also make your heart disease risk worse. Instead, opt to cope in healthy ways such as meditating, exercising, listening to music, or journaling.

8. Quit smoking

Smoking raises your blood pressure making you at more risk for a heart attack or stroke. If you quit now, you can still lower your risk for heart disease. If you find it hard to quit smoking, here are several methods that can help you quit the habit. If you don’t smoke, don’t attempt to start now as it can be addicting. Also, try to avoid secondhand smoke as that is even more toxic.

9. Cut back on drinking

As a gout sufferer, you’re probably aware how bad drinking can be for your condition. It raises your purines making you more likely to have a gout attack later on. What you might not know is that drinking alcohol can also increase your blood pressure. In addition, alcohol adds extra calories which can make you gain weight. These two factors make you more likely to develop heart disease. So if you cannot quit drinking, at least cut back and only have one on very special occasions.

10. Take those gout attacks seriously

So, you may not experience as many gout attacks. Maybe you only have them every two or three years. But just because they’re not that frequent doesn’t mean that you should pass it off as nothing. Gout attacks are a sign that something is deeply wrong. And you should take action right away.

How to Know If You Have Heart Disease

There are various types of heart disease. There are certain diseases where you’ll only know you have it until you have a heart attack, stroke, or heart failure. This is why it is important to keep an eye on symptoms later on. Here are some to watch out for:

● Chest tightness

● Chest pain

● Chest pressure

● Chest discomfort

● Lightheadedness

● Dizziness

● Fainting

● Fatigue

● Weakness

● Shortness of breath

● Shortness of breath during exercise of activity

● Easily getting tired during exercise or activity

● Neck pain

● Jaw pain

● Throat pain

● Dry or persistent cough

● Skin rashes

● Pain in the upper abdomen

● Back pain

● Legs or arms feel pain, numb, weak, or cold

● Legs, abdomen, hands, ankles, feet, and eyes are swollen

● Fast heartbeat

● Slow heartbeat

● Irregular heartbeat

● Pale skin color

A combination of these symptoms each represent a type of heart disease. If you know you are at risk and you are having these symptoms, please see a doctor right away. Always use the emergency number if you think you might be having a heart attack.

In Conclusion

Heart disease can be treated if it is detected early. Since you have gout, you are likely to have heart disease as early as now. Aside from following the tips we discussed above, you should also talk to your doctor regarding your heart health. They can provide you with more advice as well as medication that can help reduce your risk.

Have you ever experienced any heart issues ever since you had gout? What steps are you taking to alleviate your symptoms? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Want to learn more about Gout???

>>>>>>>>>Visit our website at GoutandYou.com

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.