Do you know your weight and your height? Good. You also know your blood pressure, your cholesterol and your triglycerides? Great! But what are the chances you know your level of uric acid?
The Gout and Uric Acid Society is trying to raise awareness of an important health data point that it says is misunderstood and ignored. Elevated uric acid levels in the bloodstream is what causes gout, a common form of inflammatory arthritis.
A survey by the society found that 53 percent of Americans don't even know what uric acid is. Only 40 percent know that elevated uric acid leads to an increased risk of gout.
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In fact, even among those who suffer from gout, half are unaware of the link between their condition and uric acid levels. And 6 out of 10 of those with gout are unaware that the target serum uric acid level is less than 6mg/dL.
People don't know about uric acid levels because they're not hearing about them from their doctors. Only 10 percent of Americans say they've had their levels checked in the past six months. Among those with gout, only 38 percent report being tested during that period.
"This lack of awareness is ultimately translating to a large portion of gout sufferers and at-risk Americans not taking the appropriate steps to prevent gout and related health issues," said N. Lawrence Edwards, M.D., rheumatologist and GUAES chairman. "For a person who has gout, or who is a likely candidate, it is recommended that uric acid levels be checked every six months. For those who have levels above 6 mg/dL, uric acid-lowering medications and other lifestyle changes may be recommended to lower this number."
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