Gout: Current Insights and Future Perspectives

Gout is a relatively common inflammatory arthritis that is typically known to occur in middle-aged men. The prevalence of gout appears to be shifting, however, and is increasing in the elderly population. Gout is characterized by severely intense pain and can greatly impact patient quality of life. The study of gout and associated conditions appears to have received research attention in the past, however there is a resurgence in gout interest due to the abundance of novel evidence surrounding its diagnosis, pathophysiology, and treatment. In this review we describe a general overview of gout including its assessment/diagnosis, clinical presentations, predisposing factors, pathophysiology, abortive and prophylactic therapy to control gouty inflammation, and the potential future direction of gout treatment. Perspective: Gout is an underappreciated and extremely painful condition. Over the last 2 years new thought on pathophysiology of gout taking into account the inflammasome and new therapeutic agents have changed management strategies. (C) 2011 by the American Pain Society