Did ya know?..Gout also affects women

Gout was onced thought to only affect men. But, the truth is that gout can also affect women, especially after menopause. During menopause, which occurs at age 51 on average, a woman’s body drastically cuts its production of the hormone estrogen. Estrogen may help the kidneys excrete uric acid, so after menopause, a woman’s uric acid level begins to increase. It usually takes several years for the uric acid level to reach the point where crystals can form; by about age 60, the number of gout cases in women and men are about equal. After age 80, more women than men have gout.