"June is Men's Health Month, and during this time Men's Health Network encourages heightened awareness of a variety of health conditions, including gout," says Scott Williams, vice president, MHN. "Our focus is to raise awareness of the need for men to be proactive in taking care of their health, and clearly, gout is a good example. With proper management, patients can reduce the risk of experiencing painful attacks, so we urge men -- and women -- who live with gout to work with their doctor, ask questions and develop the management plan that is best for them."  

Additional Findings

Other findings from the survey include:

51 percent of survey respondents rate their gout as "very severe or severe." Half of surveyed gout patients report "unbearable pain" during a flare.More than a quarter of gout patients report being bedridden and taking time off of work during an attack, and 73 percent admit to limited physical activity during these times. Nearly half of those surveyed (43 percent) have had to cancel social plans and one-fifth have canceled vacation plans or decided not to travel as a result of their condition.Unaided, only half of gout sufferers correctly attribute their condition to an increased level or accumulation of uric acid.Patients report a mixture of emotions resulting from the pain of an attack, including stress (64 percent), anger (47 percent), depression (40 percent), embarrassment (16 percent) and feeling overwhelmed (38 percent). Men are more likely to claim that they would participate in more sports and exercise (41 percent men vs. 33 percent women) if they did not have gout.When asked about gout flares, men were more likely than women to respond with anger and to feel that they brought the attacks upon themselves.

SOURCE Men's Health Network; Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc.