Hospital cases of gout - an inflammatory form of arthritis - rose by a fifth in the last five years, new figures have revealed
Far from being consigned to the history books, the painful condition which famously afflicted Henry VIII is becoming more common and severe.
Almost 6,000 people needed to be admitted to hospital for gout last year, most of them men and aged 60 and over.
The increase suggests their condition is being poorly controlled by GPs, say experts, although many people put off seeking help in the early stages which may lead to complications.
Historically known as 'the king of diseases and the disease of kings', gout has long thought to be caused by an overindulgent lifestyle.
Gout is a form of inflammatory arthritis, with sudden onset of acute pain, redness and swelling in peripheral joints, most commonly the joint in the big toe.
It is caused by the deposition of monosodium urate crystals, which is related to high uric acid in the blood, and can be alleviated with urate-lowering treatment (ULT).
Research published earlier this year suggested it is becoming much more common with around one in 40 people in the UK, about 1.5 million, having been diagnosed.
New figures show that the number of hospital admissions for gout rose four per cent last year, up from 5,560 to 5,800 in England.
But last year’s figure was 22 per cent higher than the total of 4,757 in 2009/10, according to the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC).
Seven in 10 patients were above the age of 60 and two thirds of those admitted were male.
There were wide regional variations in the number of admissions. In Greater Manchester 15 people out of every 100,000 have the condition while in Thames Valley, eight out of every 100,000 are affected.
People living in the poorest places are also more likely to be affected, with 13.5 out of every 100,000 people living in the most deprived areas of the country affected compared with eight out of every 100,000 in wealthier areas.
Dr Weiya Zhang, a specialist in rheumatology at Nottingham City Hospital, said his research showed gout was twice as prevalent as previously thought, affecting one in 40 people.
A surge in cases during the last 16 years has put Britain at the head of the European gout league, he said.
Of great concern, he said, was the under-treatment and poor treatment of patients with only one in three getting drugs that were proven, cheap and effective, including allopurinol.
King Henry VIII famously suffered the painful
condition, which is becoming more common and severe. Experts have blamed
rich food and living the high life for the rise in cases
Dr Zhang said: ‘There is an increasing incidence of gout and these new figures suggest it may be getting more severe.
‘In the later stages gout can lead to complications involving the kidneys, heart and other organs which may need hospital care.
‘There seems to be poor management of the condition in primary care – GPs don’t take it seriously and they don’t prescribe drugs or they do it inadequately.
‘But patients must also be aware that they should take notice of acute attacks. It’s an episodic disease and if they ignore the pain there is a danger they won’ t get the help they need to avoid complications’ he added.
The new figures were released as part of a new HSCIC report of the provenance of Victorian conditions that were widespread during the 19th and 20th centuries.
Kingsley Manning, chairman of the HSCIC, said: ‘It is fascinating to look at current statistics for some of the diseases and conditions that were prevalent in the 1800s and early 1900s.
‘We are fortunate that these diseases are not as widespread today, however our figures do show that hospital admissions for gout are increasing. Healthcare organisations may be interested in undertaking further study into the trends highlighted in our report.’
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