Big Toe Isn’t Biggest Culprit in Gout Flare-Ups; Other Joints Tied to Higher Risk

Health & Wellness

Big Toe Isn’t Biggest Culprit in Gout Flare-Ups; Other Joints Tied to Higher Risk

By
Dana Sparks

June 6, 2013

The painful rheumatic condition gout is often associated with the big toe, but Mayo Clinic has found that patients at highest risk of further flare-ups are those whose gout first involved other joints, such as a knee or elbow. The study is among several that Mayo researchers were presenting in Madrid at the European League Against Rheumatism's annual meeting.

In other findings, Mayo discovered a clue to why lu pus tends to be worse in African-Americans, chronicled erratic blood pressure in rheumatoid arthritis patients found gout-like deposits in the joints of people with advanced osteoarthritis and examined why smoking doubles the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.

Read entire news release: EULAR61013

Journalists: Edited sound bites with Rheumatology chair at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., Eric Matteson, M.D., are in the downloads.