Diuretics and gout: What’s the connection?

Yes. Diuretics can raise the risk of a type of arthritis called gout. Gout happens when a substance in the blood called uric acid builds up and forms crystals in a joint.

Diuretics may raise the risk of gout because they cause you to urinate more. This lowers the amount of fluid in the body. But the remaining fluid is more concentrated. That can make the crystals that cause gout more likely to form. Some types of diuretics also make it harder for the kidneys to get rid of a part of uric acid called urate. When less urate leaves the body, the risk of gout rises.

If you develop gout while taking a diuretic for high blood pressure, talk with your healthcare professional about your medicine. Ask if you should keep taking the diuretic or switch to another medicine. Many other types of blood pressure medicines don’t raise the risk of gout. Also, many of the healthy habits that you can practice to lower blood pressure can help lower uric acid too. Use the following tips:

• Eat a healthy diet. Focus on fruits and vegetables, plant proteins, low-fat or fat-free dairy products, and whole grains. Limit meat and seafood to 6 ounces (170 grams) or less a day if you take in about 2,000 calories daily.
• Drink little to no alcohol.
• Limit drinks that have added sugar, such as soda. Also limit foods and drinks that have a sweetener called high-fructose corn syrup.
• Lose extra weight with diet and exercise. You can ask your healthcare professional to recommend a goal weight that’s right for you.

To help manage gout, drink plenty of water. Also limit foods and drinks that have high amounts of compounds called purines. When the body breaks down purines, they form urate. Foods and drinks that are high in purines include:

• Meats such as pork, poultry and beef.
• Processed meats such as sausages and deli meats.
• Organ meats such as liver.
• Seafood such as sardines, mackerel, herring, scallops and mussels.
• Alcohol.