Among the oldest known diseases for which there is a written record is gout. Characterized by severe pain in one or more joints, gout is not caused solely by eating or drinking in excess, as physicians once thought. Instead the basic cause of gout is probably linked to hereditary factors. Cause The swollen, painful joints that gout produces result from a buildup of uric acid crystals in the cartilage separating the bones of a joint.
Uric acid is produced during metabolism, when the body breaks down proteins.
Although uric acid is insoluble, it is usually present in the form of very tiny particles that can be suspended in blood . Normally these tiny particles are filtered out by the kidneys and suspended in urine, with which they leave the body harmlessly during urination. People who suffer gout have more uric acid in their system than their kidneys can remove. The excess may combine with sodium to form crystals that inflame the patient's joints. These crystals are somewhat like the stones that sometimes form in the bladder or kidneys.