CKD and gout
Can CKD cause gout? Yes. In fact, one out of 10 people with chronic kidney disease have gout, and an even higher percentage of people with gout have CKD (i.e. it works both ways).
Why? When you have chronic kidney disease (CKD), your kidneys do not work as well as they should to filter wastes out of your body. These wastes include uric acid, which is naturally found in your blood.
So when you have chronic kidney disease, your kidneys cannot filter out uric acid as well as they should.
What is gout?
Gout is caused by too much uric acid building up in the body.
It is a severe form of arthritis. In gout, the uric acid crystallise and settle in the joints.
The sharp crystals can lead to sudden attacks of pain, swelling, redness, and soreness in one or more joints – especially the big toe.
Gout can affect other joints including knees, ankles/feet, hands/wrists and elbows.
The crystals can also damage your kidneys and lead to chronic kidney disease.
Living with gout and chronic kidney disease
When you have both gout and CKD, treating gout can be difficult because some medicines (such as NSAIDs) are not safe for the kidneys.
Also, some of the most common medicines for gout should be adjusted or avoided when you have chronic kidney disease – e.g the ‘kidney dose’ of allopurinol is 100 mg once a day, not 300 mg.
Additionally, some people with kidney disease take medicines that may increase their risk of gout. For example, diuretics (water tablets) and beta blockers, two common medicines for high blood pressure, can contribute to gout attacks. Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take so they can suggest a treatment that works best for you.
Note. In fact gout can be a warning sign of chronic kidney disease. If you have gout, ask your doctor if you should be tested for CKD, with a blood GFR/creatinine.
Summary
We have described CKD and gout, and how they are connected. We hope it has been helpful.
Other resource
This is a good review article: Stamp, 2021
Last Reviewed on 10 April 2024