What Is Gout? What Causes Gout? The word gout comes from Latin gutta and old French gote meaning "a drop". Several hundred years ago gout was thought to be caused by drops of viscous humors that seeped from blood into the joints. In fact, this supposition was not that far from the truth... New Diagnostic Method For Gout: Dual Energy Computed Tomography Instead Of Joint Aspiration The most reliable method of diagnosing gout is to aspirate the joint in order to obtain fluid to verify the presence of monosodium urate crystals (uric acid). Up to now, computed tomography (CT) has played a limited role in the evaluation of gout, since conventional CT systems cannot reliably verify deposits of uric acid... Johns Hopkins Scientists Out A Gene For Gout Having partnered last year with an international team that surveyed the genomes of 12,000 individuals to find a genetic cause for gout, Johns Hopkins scientists now have shown that the malfunctioning gene they helped uncover can lead to high concentrations of blood urate that forms crystals in joint tissue, causing inflammation and pain - the hallmark of this disease... Ardea Biosciences Announces Positive Interim Phase 2a Results For Lead Gout Drug, RDEA594 Ardea Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq:RDEA) announced positive interim results from an ongoing Phase 2a, proof-of-concept study of RDEA594, its lead product candidate for the treatment of hyperuricemia and gout, as well as additional positive results from completed Phase 1 studies of RDEA594 in normal, healthy volunteers... Savient Pharmaceuticals Receives Complete Response Letter From U.S. Food And Drug Administration For KRYSTEXXA(TM) Savient Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: SVNT) announced that the Company has received a complete response letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stating that the FDA can not at this time approve the Company's Biologics License Application (BLA) for KRYSTEXXA(TM) (pegloticase) as a treatment for chronic gout in patients refractory to conventional therapy... Ardea Biosciences Initiates Phase 2b Clinical Trial Of RDEA594, Lead Product Candidate For The Treatment Of Gout Ardea Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq:RDEA) today announced that it has initiated a Phase 2b clinical trial of RDEA594, its lead product candidate in development for the management of hyperuricemia and gout. The Company also announced the selection of RDEA684, a next-generation URAT1 inhibitor, as a development candidate for the same indication... New Diagnostic Method For Gout: Dual Energy Computed Tomography Instead Of Joint Aspiration The most reliable method of diagnosing gout is to aspirate the joint in order to obtain fluid to verify the presence of monosodiumurate crystals (uric acid). Up to now, computed tomography (CT) has played a limited role in the evaluation of gout, since conventional CT systems cannot reliably verify deposits of uric acid... Women With Gout At Greater Risk Of Heart Attack Than Men Women with gout are at greater risk of a heart attack than men with the disease, indicates research published ahead of print in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. Gout is known to boost the risk of a heart attack in men. But to date, little has been known about the impact of gout on women's cardiovascular health...