A Mathematical Study to Gout Symptoms

Abstract

Gout is a form of inflammatory arthritis characterized by sharp pain and severe swelling that often causes severe physical disability. Gout is caused by the chronic elevation of uric acid levels in the blood and is known as the disease of kings due to its strong association with a diet rich in fructose and beer. Recent studies suggest that a high uric acid concentration is the result of a dynamical process that highlights the interactions between leptin production, insulin resistance, low muscle mass and a diet rich in fructose. Once individuals develop hyperuricemia, reach a high uric acid concentration in excess of 7 mg/dL for men and 6 mg/dL for women, they become susceptible to developing gout. We propose a novel dynamic system to analyze and determine the connections between a diet involving different levels of fructose (in both adult men and women in the U.S.) and the concentration of uric acid in the blood. Our model simulations suggest that adult males under a diet containing levels of fructose stimulating a 0.5 uric acid growth rate, could develop hyperuricemia after around 10,000 days, while it only takes women about 5000 days with a diet stimulating a 0.4 growth rate.