Gout, a form of inflammatory arthritis that causes sudden severe pain, swelling and tenderness of the joints, is becoming increasingly common in Qatar and in the region, Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar’s assistant professor of Medicine Dr Edward J Parrish said.He was speaking on “Gouty Arthritis: aka Disease of Kings” during the WCMC-Q “Medicine and U” lecture series. “Gout is common virtually everywhere but it is particularly prevalent in the industrialised West and is also on the increase in the Middle East. A lot of this is to do with increasing obesity among the population,” Dr Parrish, who is also the assistant attending rheumatologist at the Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, said.During the lecture, he examined what gout is, the causes of the condition and some common misconceptions about it. He explained that gout, which is a form of inflammatory arthritis, is caused by uric acid forming crystals in the joints, resulting in severe pain and swelling.Dr Parrish began the lecture by giving an overview of arthritis and inflammatory arthritis while also discussing what causes gout, where uric acid is produced and how it gets deposited in the joints.He also described how gout is associated with metabolic syndrome, specifically high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes.“Metabolic syndrome can cause gout but gout can also cause metabolic syndrome. It’s a vicious circle and the treatment of one condition can improve the other complaints. Frequently, you have to treat all of them to have the maximum effect,” he said.