Having gout apparently lowers the risk of developing Parkinson's disease in older individuals, new research hints.
Gout is caused by high levels of uric acid in the blood. Some studies have shown that uric acid exerts beneficial antioxidant effects on neurons. With these antioxidant properties, uric acid has been hypothesized to protect against oxidative stress, a process in which cell-damaging free radical particles are produced, which is a prominent contributor to nerve degeneration seen in Parkinson's disease (PD).
Dr. Hyon Choi, of the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, and colleagues assessed the relationship between gout and the risk of PD in a large group of people aged 65 and older. They compared rates of PD between 11,258 people with gout and 56,199 matched control subjects.
During a median follow up of 8 years, a total of 1,182 new cases of PD were identified.
In analyses adjusted for factors that might influence the results, the researchers found that the risk of PD was 30 percent lower among people with gout compared to those without gout.
The risk of PD was 34 percent lower in patients with gout who received anti-gout treatment and 21 percent lower in gout patients who did not receive anti-gout treatment.
On the other hand, "the protective effect of gout on PD was significant among individuals who did not use diuretics, but not among diuretic users, Choi's team reports.
The apparent protective effect of gout on risk of PD was similar in men and women, and in patients younger and older than age 75.
These findings are consistent with the notion that high uric acid levels and gout have certain beneficial effects, the investigators point out.
SOURCE: Arthritis and Rheumatism, November 15, 2008.