Introduction

• Gout is a painful disease that occurs when the levels of uric acid become too high in the bloodstream. According to the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, over 2 million Americans currently suffer from gout. Although gout is more common in men, women can also develop gout under the right circumstances.
  
  

Uric Acid

• The issue of gout in women revolves around uric acid. In a normal body, uric acid is metabolized out of the blood, which allows the levels to remain healthy. However, if for any reason metabolism of uric acid is affected, its levels can build up in the bloodstream. As the uric acid flows throughout the body, the increased levels allow the uric acid to build up in joints, especially in the knees and toes. In these joints (often referred to as tophi) the uric acid crystallizes. This causes localized swelling and intense pain in the affected joint.
  
  

Menopause

• One of the main risk factors for women when it comes to developing gout is the onset of menopause. According to the Mayo Clinic, men tend to have higher levels of uric acid in their blood than women. The process of menopause can cause a dramatic increase in uric acid, increasing the chances that a woman will develop gout.
  
  

Alcohol

• Alcohol can also influence whether or not a women will develop gout. According to Hyon Choi, MD, of the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, alcohol is well known to increase the levels of uric acid in the bloodstream. According to the Mayo Clinic, this is only a factor for men if they drink more than two drinks per day and for women if they drink more than one per day.
  
  

Medications

• Certain medications may also increase your chances of developing gout over time. The most common medications that may contribute to the problem include low-dose aspirin, thiazide diuretics and medications used to insure that organ transplants are not rejected, such as Renalife.