Gout and malnutrition levels soaring as Victorian disease return

New figures show soaring levels of gout, a disease associated with indulgence, at a time when cases of malnutrition are also rising

By Laura Donnelly, Health Editor

11:30AM GMT 27 Oct 2015

Levels of gout and malnutrition are soaring, official figures show.

NHS statistics show that diseases which were rife in the Victorian era are making a comeback.

The trends show that conditions associated with indulgence, and excess eating and drinking, are rising sharply at the same time as increased numbers are being admitted to hospital suffering from malnourishment.

Overall, the figures show the number of patients admitted to hospital with gout rose by 61 per cent in five years, while the number with malnutrition has risen by 51 per cent.

Gout is associated with excess eating and drinking, and became known as the disease of kings as it afflicted a number of monarchs including Henry VIII.

King Henry VIII: a Tudor Eurosceptic  Photo: ALAMY

Experts said the number of cases of malnutrition in a wealthy country were "unacceptable," while warning that the rising gout levels appeared to be driven by junk food and spiralling rates of obesity.

Gout is caused when too much food and drink can cause a build-up in the blood of uric acid, a waste product formed by the breakdown of food, beer and wine. If someone produces too much uric acid tiny crystals will start to form in the joints and cause pain and inflammation.

Rises were also seen in scarlet fever, scurvy, cholera and whooping cough over the period, the figures show.

"The most unwelcome rise in gout figures emphasises how ignorant people are about the consequences of overeating"

Tam Fry, National Obesity Forum

The highest levels of gout were in Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, with rates of 17.2 cases per 100,000 people, more than twice those in Hertfordshire and the South Midlands, with 7.7 cases per 100,000.

Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly recorded the highest malnutrition admission rates, with 2.4 cases per 100,000 people, with the lowest figures in Bath, Gloucestershire, Swindon and Wiltshire, at just 0.6 cases per 100,000.

The statistics from the Health and Social Care Information Centre show that in 2014/15, 104,972 patients were admitted to hospital suffering from gout, compared with 65,387 cases in 2010/11.

Meanwhile hospital admissions of patients suffering from malnutrition rose from 4,883 cases in 2010/11 to 7,366 in 2014/15.

Prof John Ashton, president of the Faculty of Public Health, said: "It is unacceptable that malnutrition is increasing in one of the wealthiest nations on earth. No matter where we live, we should not become accustomed to food poverty or food banks.

"Gout is also on the rise, and no longer confined to wealthy Victorians. It now affects rich and poor alike. That increase probably reflects our ageing population, burdened by junk food and steep rises in obesity."

He called for the introduction of a sugar tax, with funds used to improve child health.

  Photo: Action Press / Rex Features

The period saw a doubling in cases of scarlet fever, from 466 to 1,099 cases per year, and a rise in whooping cough cases – from 272 to 369 cases per year.

The figures show 82 admissions with scurvy in 2010/11, rising to 113 cases in 2014/15, with 36 admissions with cholera in 2014/15, a quadrupling from the nine cases five years earlier.

The official statistics on Victorian diseases cover hospital admissions in England where a primary or secondary diagnosis of the disease was made, meaning many thousands more can suffer such conditions without them being noted.

Tam Fry, from the National Obesity Forum, said: "The most unwelcome rise in gout figures emphasises how ignorant people are in general about the consequences of overeating. Many blithely assume that indulgence in food just makes you fat. How wrong can they be.

"Gout is just one string of diseases triggered by obesity, the treatment costs for which could well cause the NHS to collapse."

The trends have been seen for some years, with rising cases of gout likely to reflect rising obesity levels.

EALTH ADVICE

5 ways to stave off a gout attack

 Maintain a healthy weight. If you’re overweight, shed the pounds in a gradual, safe way, aiming to lose 1-2lbs a week.

Reduce your consumption of alcohol. Beer, in particular, contains high levels of purines, which could be an indirect cause of gout.

Drink plenty of fluids (preferably water). This helps the kidneys flush uric acid from the body. Aim to drink at least two litres per day.

Reduce your consumption of purine-rich foods. Purines are the natural compounds found in many foods. Once broken down, their end product is uric acid. Start by reducing your intake of red meat (especially offal), fish (especially if it’s oily) and poultry.

Limit your intake of sugar and sugary foods. This isn’t just about avoiding weight gain. Sugary foods, drinks and snacks often contain fructose which may increase uric levels in the blood. Be particularly vigilant about so-called "healthy" foods such as cereals and cereal bars.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/nhs/11957589/Gout-and-malnutrition-levels-soaring-as-Victorian-disease-return.html

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