Should you worry about uric acid and gout?

Raised uric acid alone without symptoms usually does not need treatment, though it is worth understanding as a marker often accompanying metabolic syndrome. Gout — sudden severe joint pain, classically the big toe, with redness and swelling — does need treatment, both for the acute attack and often long-term to prevent recurrence and joint damage. Dietary advice has shifted: the older restriction of all pulses and vegetables is largely unsupported, while the strongest dietary drivers are alcohol, particularly beer, sweetened drinks containing fructose, and red meat and seafood. Weight reduction and hydration help. Do not stop preventive medication during an attack.