Gout is a form of arthritis that usually affects the toe joints. It most often occurs in middle-age, overweight men who consume large amounts of meat, eggs and other foods high in nucleic acid. Men are more prone to gout than women. Women may be protected from gout by the female hormone estrogen.
Men start building uric acid levels in puberty.
However, uric acid does not start accumulating in women until after menopause. Certain medicines may also cause gout, such as diuretics, niacin, low doses of aspirin, cyclosporine and some drugs used to treat cancer. A gout attack usually occurs suddenly. It often starts at night in the big toe. The joint becomes red, feels hot and is painful.