Faculty Bibliography

The prevalence of gout and hyperuricemia has increased dramatically during the last several decades, to the point that gout is the most common inflammatory arthritis in the United States, affecting approximately 8 million Americans. Patients with gout frequently have multiple comorbidities, including hypertension, chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia, all of which have significant adverse impact on public health. In some cases (eg, chronic kidney disease) it is clear that the presence of the comorbidity contributes to the progression of hyperuricemia and/or gout. Conversely, the question of whether gout/hyperuricemia themselves contribute to the pathogenesis of gout comorbidities is an area of intensifying investigation. In vitro and animal models, large epidemiologic studies, and small clinical trials suggest that gout and/or hyperuricemia may contribute to hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and cardiovascular disease. More limited hypothesis-generating studies suggest a potential role for diabetes and obesity. Given that available drugs can lower serum urate levels and manage gout, it would be important to know whether not only gout and/or hyperuricemia can contribute to comorbidities but also better gout/hyperuricemic control can ameliorate some or all of these related conditions. We review the clinical associations between gout and its common comorbid conditions and the evidence supporting a causal relation between them. The evidence that gout and hyperuricemia contribute to the pathogenesis of their comorbidities creates greater urgency for appropriate gout management.

Illicitly distilled beverages (colloquially referred to as moonshine) account for approximately one third of alcohol consumption worldwide. Moonshine is often produced in makeshift distilling units composed of old, repurposed parts, whose component elements can leach into the distillate. Consequently, the resultant beverages may inadvertently contain harmful toxins, one of which is the metal lead. One manifestation of chronic lead toxicity-from moonshine or other forms of chronic lead poisoning-is the rheumatologic entity known as saturnine gout. With the increasing prevalence of gout over the past few decades, physicians should be aware of the association of moonshine consumption or lead toxicity with gouty arthritis. In this article, we present an overview of saturnine gout, beginning with a discussion of lead poisoning in antiquity and tracing its path to modern times. The contribution of lead to human disease and the clinical features of saturnine gout are outlined. After describing the role of lead in renal insufficiency and purine metabolism, we conclude with a discussion of specific strategies to manage this clinically important form of secondary gout.