Researchers Identify Genes Associated With Increased Gout Risk

A team of researchers from the United States and the Netherlands has identified mutations in three genes that are associated with high levels of uric acid in the blood, which is a risk factor for gout. The team developed a genetic risk score composed of the number of uric acid-increasing mutations that each person carries (0 to 6), which was associated with up to a 40-fold increased risk for developing gout when comparing persons at lowest and highest risk.

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Filed under: Arthritis on October 13th, 2008