If you’ve come to this blog you might already have been diagnosed with gout. Hopefully you’re interested to learn more about this disease and how to participate in gout clinical trials. As you probably know, gout is a disease that results from too much uric acid in the body. Uric acid is a natural waste product of the body. When the level is too high, a formation of tiny crystals or urate develop in the tissues of the body, especially in the joints. Normally the uric acid is flushed into the kidneys. When the crystals form in the joints, this creates inflammation, which is arthritis.

There are two essential concepts to treating gout: first; stopping the inflammation of joints affected, and second; addressing long-term management of the disease. Although gout is the most frequently recorded medical illnesses throughout history, there isn’t a one pill treatment. Clinical research trials for gout are essential to possibly making a cure a reality.

Here is a list of four ways to prevent oncoming attacks of gout.

Food – Dietary changes can easily reduce uric acid in the blood. Avoiding purine-rich foods like, shellfish and organ meats will help dramatically. Remember, purine chemicals are converted by the body into uric acid.

Weight – Lowering your weight is very helpful, so eat a low dietary fat and lower your calorie intake. Do not engage in a crash diet.

Exercise – Don’t keep your joints fixed in one position for a long period of time. Moving them about in some way helps reduce gout attacks.

Alcohol and smoking – Yes, these can create conditions of gout. Beer and distilled spirits are harmful for gout, as are the chemicals in smoking tobacco.

Gout treatments are one of the research studies we’ve been working on here in DeLand, Florida. Some of our investigational treatments have shown promising results, but there is a need to do additional research studies to test investigational methods that may help us understand the condition.