Is gout gate-crashing your Easter?

Is gout gate-crashing your Easter?

Arthritis New Zealand Chief Executive Sandra Kirby today wished everyone in New Zealand a safe and happy Easter, and suggested it would be a great time to talk about gout.

“As we join with friends and whanau to enjoy the long weekend, some of us may have an unwanted guest. Gout.”Gout is caused by an excessive build-up of uric acid in the blood. The acid crystallises and results in joint inflammation. It is the second most common form of arthritis in New Zealand, and is currently the subject of a major awareness campaign from Arthritis New Zealand featuring former All Black Neemia Tialata, who was diagnosed with gout in his twenties.

Gout is more common in men than women, and it is particularly prevalent amongst Māori and Pacific men, who often get gout when they are young. Fourteen percent of Pacific men in New Zealand have gout.

“Thankfully, gout can generally be well managed with effective medication and lifestyle changes. So if gout has gate-crashed your family gathering, why not all look at www.goutnz.org.nz together to learn more about how you can keep this unwelcome visitor at bay,” Ms Kirby concluded

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