Gout

High-Purine Foods

• anchovies
• asparagus
• beef kidneys
• brains
• dried beans and peas
• game meats
• gravy
• herring
• liver
• mackerel
• mushrooms
• sardines
• scallops
• sweetbreads

Key Words

Corticosteroids. Powerful anti-inflammatory hormones made naturally in the body or man-made for use as medicine. Injections of corticosteroid drugs are sometimes used to treat inflammation in the shoulder, knee, and other joints.

Diuretics. A type of medication that promotes the formation and output of urine. Diuretics are prescribed to treat the accumulation of excess fluid in bodily tissues that can result from diseases of the kidneys, liver, lungs, or heart. They may also be used to treat high blood pressure or glaucoma, a condition in which pressure builds up inside the eye.

Hemolytic anemia. A form of anemia (deficiency of red blood cells) caused by the destruction of the cells rather than the body’s inability to produce them in adequate numbers.

Hyperuricemia. The presence of elevated levels of uric acid in the blood.

Hypothyroidism. A condition in which the thyroid gland (the gland that makes and stores hormones that regulate heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, and the rate at which food is converted to energy) is underactive. Without treatment, this condition can result in fatigue, weight gain, other serious medical problems, and even death.

NSAIDs. A class of medications, available over the counter or with a prescription, that ease pain and inflammation.

Podagra. Gout in the big toe.

Pseudogout. A condition often mistaken for gout that results from the deposit of calcium phosphate crystals (not uric acid crystals as in gout) in the joints and other tissues. This condition is also called chondrocalcinosis.

Psoriasis. An autoimmune disease characterized by a red scaly rash that is often located over the surfaces of the elbows, knees, and scalp, and around or in the ears, navel, genitals, or buttocks. Approximately 10 to 15 percent of people with psoriasis develop an associated arthritis referred to as psoriatic arthritis.

Purines. Found in the DNA and RNA within the nuclei of cells, purines are part of all human tissue and are found in many foods, especially those high in protein.

Synovial fluid. The slippery fluid produced by the synovium (joint lining) to lubricate the joints.

Tophi. Nodular masses of uric acid crystals that sometimes form in the soft tissue of people with chronic gout. Although tophi are most common around the fingers, elbows, and big toe, they can occur in virtually any part of the body. (The singular is tophus.)

Uric acid. A substance that results from the breakdown of purines, which are part of all human tissue and are found in many foods.