Why Is Gout on the Rise?

Gout appears to be rising globally, with the latest U.S. estimate putting prevalence at 5.1% among adults—about 1 in 20 people, or 12.1 million Americans—according to Dr. Hyon Choi, a Harvard Medical School professor at Massachusetts General Hospital speaking on Medscape’s InDiscussion series. Choi noted the figure is self-reported, so it may overstate professionally diagnosed cases, and that gout is not evenly distributed across race and ethnicity, with minority groups reportedly more affected than White people. He said the obesity epidemic is a primary driver, linking higher calorie, refined-carb, and fatty diets to chronic kidney disease and other risk factors that overlap with gout.