Posted on 01/23/2023 11:46:06 AM PST by ConservativeMind
High levels of uric acid in midlife may significantly raise the risk for a serious type of irregular heartbeat in the decades that follow, even in people without traditional risk factors, new research shows.
The study suggests that uric acid may play an important role in the development of atrial fibrillation, or AFib, an irregular heartbeat that can lead to blood clots, stroke, heart failure and other heart complications.
"People with elevated uric acid levels may benefit from regular cardiovascular examinations to facilitate early diagnosis of new-onset AFib," said Mozhu Ding.
Uric acid is a chemical produced when the body breaks down purines, found in high amounts in alcohol, especially beer, and foods such as red meat, bacon, veal, organ meats, and some types of seafood, such as anchovies, sardines, scallops, herring and mussels. Uric acid is better known for its link to gout, a painful type of arthritis, and kidney stones. But studies also have linked high levels of uric acid to an increased risk for high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease.
Millions of U.S. adults have AFib. It is the most common reason for irregular heartbeats in older adults, and its prevalence has been increasing worldwide.
Researchers followed 339,604 participants.
The study found AFib risk rose as uric acid levels rose. Overall, those with the highest uric acid levels had a 45% higher risk of AFib than those with the lowest levels.
Elevated uric acid levels increased AFib risk even among participants who had not developed high blood pressure, diabetes, coronary heart disease or heart failure during the follow-up period. That surprised Ding.
AFib cases still were more common among people who had developed high blood pressure, diabetes, coronary heart disease or heart failure than those who had not, regardless of uric acid level.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
If you have gout now, please find ways to reduce it as much as possible.
YOU WILL EAT BUGS AND BE HAPPY...................
Point.
(but gout has been known as ‘rich man’s disease’ for a long long time - before woketardness)
Allopurinol reduces my uric acid level to normal range.
No kidding - if this was true my husband (keto) would have heart issues. But he has seen (and tests have shown) just the opposite.
I’m skeptical of some of this information coming out lately - it is as if they are blaming everything under the sun for heart issues, linking them to every day activities. Anything to not link them to the one thing that shall not be named.
My uric acid level: 7.3 mg/dL
Normal range: 2.0 - 8.5 mg/dL
I have never had gout until a few weeks past the current Covid my wife and I got at a Thanksgiving dinner.
My left foot swelled up and was red on top and bottom.
I even bought a cane to steady my walking.
An ER/Radiology doc, who is a neighbor saw me limping and using the cane.
He knew that we/I had the latest Covid, he rolled down the window and said that I probably had gout due to post Covid. He recommended some analgesic cream twice a day.
After 5 days, the redness went away and the pain and unsteadiness.
So...at this point...it’s not safe to eat anything...mothing
wonderful! But, we must follow the science.
“ Uric acid is better known for its link to gout”
That’s the first thing I thought of cause my dad deals with it now and again and he told me about the link
in the middle of dealing with this. trying chanca piedra.
of all the meds I have tried indomethacin seems to help with flare up
Your agenda item:
found in high amounts in alcohol, especially beer, and foods such as red meat, ...
Insane that red meat was listed first. It does contain purines, but at a relatively low concentration to the other items in this list.
In fact, RED MEAT HAS LESS PURINES THAN COMMON VEGETARIAN ALTERNATIVES!!!!
Purines resulting from 100g of protein sources:
Baker’s yeast 680 mg
Mushrooms.....488 mg
Tuna..........290 mg
Soy beans.....190 mg
Turkey........150 mg
Sunflower.....145 mg
Lentils.......127 mg
Chicken.......115-175 mg
Pork..........100-166 mg
Beef fillet...110 mg
Venison back..105 mg
Sausage.......73-91 mg
Corned beef...57 mg
Nuts, cheeses, eggs, milk and yogurt are low in purines.
I’m somewhat allergic to allopurinol. The VA reluctantly gave me Febuxostat (uloric). Reluctantly because it cost hundreds more per month.
Cashew nuts are what caused several gout attacks for me (prior to starting allopurinol). I finally caught on.
Do high uric acid levels always equate to gout?
Gout is caused by uric acid crystalizing in a joint. So, yes there is a very close association.
It isn’t unusual for gout victims to have a uric acid level in the normal range even during an attack. The level is not the only factor predisposing one to gout attacks. In my case, both mother and brother had at least one gout attack showing an inherited component. Mother never did have an elevated uric acid level (at least at the time of any lab) and brother and I had levels only just barely over top of normal range.
Some people with pretty high levels never suffer an attack and other people with normal levels do. As I was saying, there is more to it than just uric acid level.
As a younger man my husband had afib. As an older man he has had a few cases of gout. He’s been taking allopurinol for several years. He rarely has any gout issues. It’s a very old drug, and it is cheap.
Thanks!
I hope that it remains a stranger to me.
“Just Tart Cherry” juice/Walmart juice section, no sugar is what I drink every am to control uric acid levels. Take my vitamin D & B12 at that time as well. I do not want to have another gout attack.
g
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