▶ 1.8 times the possibility when there are more than 20 packages per year ↑
▶ A high level of uric acid in the blood is the main cause of gout
To prevent gout, a study has found that smoking cigarettes and e-cigarettes should be avoided together. Men who smoked more than 20 packs of cigarettes and e-cigarettes a year were 1.8 times more likely to have high blood uric acid levels than non-smokers.
According to the Korea Food Communication Forum (KOFRUM), a team led by Professor Park Eun-cheol from the Department of Preventive Medicine at Yonsei University College of Medicine studied 27,013 adults (11,924 males and 15,089 females) aged 19 or older who participated in the Survey National Health and Nutrition Examination between 2016 and 2020. As a result of analyzing the correlation between smoking status and blood uric acid concentration, it was revealed that.
Professor Park’s team classified the study subjects into double smokers of regular cigarettes and e-cigarettes, single smokers, non-smokers, and non-smokers. Men who smoked had twice the risk of having higher blood uric acid levels than non-smokers.
The risk of having a high blood uric acid level in single smokers was 1.7 times greater than non-smokers. Men who smoked more than 20 packs of cigarettes a year were 1.8 times more likely to have high blood uric acid levels than men who never smoked.
In the thesis, Professor Park’s team said, “Double smoking, which includes regular cigarettes and e-cigarettes, may contribute to high blood uric acid levels in adults,” he noted.
High levels of uric acid in the blood can cause gout. Gout is a form of autoimmune arthritis. High blood uric acid levels are a potential risk factor for kidney damage. High levels of blood in the urine increase the risk of acute and chronic kidney disease. High concentrations of uric acid in the blood lead to hyperuricemia and can damage the lining of blood vessels.
The reason why smoking increases uric acid levels in the blood is not yet known. Studies have shown that smoking in obese people increases the risk of gout. The majority of gout patients have obesity, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. The results of this study were published in the latest issue of ‘Plos ONE’, an international academic journal.
