Study finds no link between gout and neurodegenerative disease in the general population

Research published in scientific report It highlights that gout may increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease in young and overweight people.This study was conducted in a representative Korean population.

Background

Gout is a common and complex form of inflammatory arthritis characterized by severe joint pain. This condition is caused by disorders of purine metabolism, leading to the accumulation of uric acid in the blood and the formation of monosodium urate crystals. These uric acid crystals deposit in joints, causing inflammation and severe pain.

Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversible neurodegenerative disease of the brain characterized by loss of memory and learning. This is the most common form of dementia. Extracellular aggregation of beta-amyloid plaques and intracellular accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau protein are major factors in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease.

Parkinson’s disease is another neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a wide range of motor and non-motor symptoms. Progressive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the brain is a major cause of the development of Parkinson’s disease.

Oxidative stress is a key feature of neurodegenerative diseases. Due to its powerful antioxidant properties, uric acid appears to have a positive impact on these conditions.Since gout is characterized by excessive accumulation of uric acid in the blood, it is associated with the etiology of gout, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. There may be a relationship between

In the current study, scientists investigated whether gout has a positive or negative impact on the pathogenesis of these two neurodegenerative diseases.

research design

This longitudinal study included a representative population of Korean adults. From 2003 to 2015, a total of 18,079 adults diagnosed with gout were enrolled in the Gout Group. A total of 72,316 adults without gout were enrolled in the comparison arm.

Participants in the gout group and those in the comparison group were matched 1:4 for age, sex, monthly income, and region of residence.

Associations between gout and Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease after adjusting for potential confounders such as demographic factors, body mass index (BMI), metabolic syndrome-related risk factors, lifestyle factors, and comorbidities Rated.

important observation

A statistical analysis performed in this study revealed that gout did not significantly increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease in the Korean general population. They were 1.01 and 1.16 times higher in the gout group, respectively.

Considering all selected confounders, subgroup analyzes revealed a significantly higher risk of both neurodegenerative diseases in gout patients <60 years of age. Furthermore, a significantly higher risk of Parkinson's disease was observed in overweight gout patients.

Significance of research

This study illustrates the lack of significant associations between gout and Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases in a representative Korean adult population. However, gout can significantly increase the risk of both neurodegenerative diseases in individuals under the age of 60. Similarly, being overweight is another risk factor for gout sufferers to develop Parkinson’s disease.

Since this is an observational study, the scientists could not mechanically justify the lack of an association between gout and neurodegenerative disease. It can induce both oxidative and inflammatory responses, and the interplay of these two potent actions needs to be carefully analyzed to understand the impact of gout in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. .