Elevated Uric Acid Levels in Gout may Lower Alzheimer Risk

A new study has revealed that people who suffer from gout may be less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease.

A new study has revealed that people who suffer from gout may be less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease. The same uric acid that can crystallize to cause gout, may offer protection against Alzheimer's with its antioxidant properties.

Researchers from the United States and Canada looked at the records of 3.7 million people over the age of 40-years in a British database of medical charts. They compared data on people with gout, and those without, who developed Alzheimer's disease in a followup period of about five years.

About Gout
High levels of uric acid in blood and recurring attacks of joint inflammation are the main symptoms of gout. Lifestyle changes like weight loss, increasing fluid intake and dietary changes can help.

Only 309 new cases of Alzheimer's among 59,224 gout sufferers with an average age of 65 were identified in the study, while there were 1,942 cases among 238,805 non-sufferers. This amounted to a 24 percent lower risk of Alzheimer's disease for people with a history of gout, after considering differences in age, gender, body weight, lifestyle and health.

The study appears online in the journal Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

Source-Medindia

Gout and Diet - Dietary Intervention - Reference
In gout excess of uric acid appears in the blood and its particles are deposited in joints as tophi.

Alzheimer’s disease - Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Stages, Types, Prevention, Prognosis & Treatment
Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting memory and thinking and making the person increasingly dependent on others.

Risk Factors for Alzheimers Disease
Cognitively normal adults exhibiting atrophy of their temporal lobe or damage to blood vessels in the brain are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease.