Doctors issue warning over mystery rise of young, fit women with crippling medieval condition

Daily Mail​

22-05-2025

Looking at these women — with their slim waists and active lifestyles — you'd never guess they're battling a disease once reserved for overweight, wine-guzzling aristocrats.
But gout, the crippling condition historically dubbed the 'disease of kings', is making a shocking comeback — and this time, it's hitting a very different crowd.
Since 1990, rates have increased by more than 63% globally, linked to rising obesity rates and more availability of rich foods.
Around 8.3million Americans have gout. But while overweight, beer-drinking men in their fifties are still most at risk, a new high risk group has emerged.
A growing number of young, seemingly healthy women have spoken out about how they have been left crippled by the ailment, with searing pain and swollen joints.
Gout is a form of inflammatory arthritis caused by a buildup of uric acid in the body.
This excess forms razor-sharp crystals that lodge in the joints, triggering sudden, intense pain — often in the big toe.
The body releases uric acid when it breaks down certain foods like rich red and organ meat, seafood, alcohol and sugary drinks.
Los Angeles based actress Avery Norris also is not a typically candidate for gout, with a slim physique and active lifestyle. She got the condition when she was 22 years old
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So what's behind the mysterious surge in young women getting a disease that once plagued the palace?
Dr Heather Viola, an internist at Mount Sinai in New York, says the rise is 'multifactorial', blaming modern diet and lifestyle shifts.
'More people than ever consume high amounts of sugary drinks like soda and juice sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup,' she tells DailyMail.com.
'These sugars increase uric acid production, a key player in gout.'
Add to that the Western diet's love for red meat, seafood, and processed food, and you have a perfect storm.
Dr Viola says that hormonal changes also put women at greater risk of gout.
During menopause estrogen levels decline.
'This hormone plays a protective role by enhancing excretion of uric acid through the kidneys, so with less of it to play with, there's more chances of gout occurring,' she explains.
One study found that women who have never given birth or been pregnant have double the odds of reaching the menopause before the age of 40, compared to those who have been pregnant.
With more and more women in the US saying no to motherhood, there could be a link between more women experiencing early menopause and a growth in those contracting gout.
Rising rates of obesity among young adults also interfere with how the body handles uric acid.
Samantha Pearlman, a realtor from Atlanta, says she was blindsided when she was diagnosed with gout at 40.
Mary Fran Emerson from Atlanta is another young woman battling gout and she joked that she asked her husband to chop her foot off because the pain was so intense
Samantha Pearlman, a realtor from Atlanta, says she was shocked when she was diagnosed with the condition at 40
It started with shooting pain in her left toe one night. There was no injury, no bite, nothing obvious — but the pain was intense. At urgent care, she was told it was gout.
In a TikTok video, she admitted: 'I guess I feel ignorant because I didn't even think about gout... no sign of injury, nothing with the toenail, no signs of a bite... It's one sided, not the other.'
She was given a steroid shot and prescription meds — but also a new reality to face.
'I feel kind of silly,' she says. 'I didn't even know gout was a thing anymore.
'I feel like the little bit I learned about gout when I was younger was that it was like an old-time disease... from like 75 to 100 years ago.
'I'm not the typical patient… it's usually middle-aged men with a horrible diet, who drink a lot of beer and are overweight and that's clearly not me.'
'I'm not even overweight anymore. I recently lost 75 pounds and I eat fairly healthy. So I don't even know how I got gout to be honest with you.'
Los Angeles-based actress Avery Norris was just 22 when she was diagnosed — also far from the stereotypical patient.
She lives a healthy lifestyle and maintains a slim figure.
But she also has type 2 diabetes, which studies show increases gout risk due to insulin resistance and higher uric acid levels.
When a flare hits, she says she's down for one to two weeks and often unable to walk. To manage the condition, she takes medication and avoids red meat.
Meanwhile, Mary Fran Emerson from Atlanta says her gout pain was so unbearable at one point she joked about asking her husband to chop her foot off.
She doesn't drink heavily, eats well, and still couldn't believe her diagnosis.
Dr Heather Viola, who is based out of Mount Sinai in New York, told DailyMail.com that the spike among young women is 'multifactorial'. She says sugary soda is one factor to blame, along with the rise of processed foods
While the big toe is still the most common target, Dr Viola says gout can strike ankles, knees, fingers, wrists, and elbows, and sometimes multiple joints at once.
'It may become chronic, leading to long-term joint damage if untreated… the pain and inflammation can be intense and debilitating.'
Attacks usually peak within 12 to 24 hours, and can leave patients barely able to walk.
Anti-inflammatory drug can be prescribed to help lessen the symptoms, while steroid injections offer rapid pain relief.
To reduce risk, experts advise cutting back on sugary drinks and processed foods — and keeping a healthy weight.
Because these days, gout doesn't care what you look like — and even the fittest bodies aren't immune to the 'disease of kings.'