Aspirin: Men Should Avoid It to Reduce Gout Risk

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As well as Panadol and Paracetamol, Aspirin is a household name among millions of people around the world.  It is used as a painkiller for minor to moderate pain.  It is also used for treating fever and cold.  Moreover, doctors also tend to prescribe aspirin for patients at risk of heart attack or stroke.  Despite this good news about it, aspirin has also been found to increase the risk of gout.

Gout is a medical condition characterised by abnormally elevated levels of uric acid in the blood and recurring inflammation of the joints (arthritis), often causing pain and discomfort to the sufferer.  Men are more at risk of gout than women.  This has led to the suggestion that men should avoid aspirin, if necessary, to minimise their risk of gout.

But the evidence that aspirin increases the amount of uric acid in the body and thus increases the risk of gout is not conclusive.  First, a large study by the Department of Rheumatology and Medicine in San Francisco, United States, found that the link between low dosage of aspirin intake and increased risk of gout is low.  That is, people’s risk of gout did not necessarily increase with low dosage of aspirin intake.

Second, some people have high uric acid (hyperuricemia) but have no gout.  Others have low uric acid and have gout. This means that high levels of uric acid in the blood may be a risk factor for gout but may not necessarily be the only risk factor for the painful disease.  Therefore, men should not avoid taking aspirin simply to minimise their risk of gout.

While it is advisable for men to consult their doctor before taking any aspirin, every person regardless of their gender should consider other risk factors associated with gout.  These include obesity and alcohol abuse.  It has been found that both obese and alcoholic individuals are more at risk of gout than non-obese and non-alcoholic individuals.  This means that maintaining a normal weight and consuming alcohol moderately can reduce the risk of gout and other forms of arthritis in both men and women.

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