Stereotypical view of gout is ‘unfair and unhelpful’

June Shannon spoke to Prof Fernando Perez-Ruiz about the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of gout; a particularly painful yet much-maligned condition An international expert on gout has said that the stereotypical view of a gout patient as overweight foodies with a penchant for fine wine and strong beer was unfair and could lead to patients being under-treated, dismissed or even blamed for their condition. Prof Fernando Perez-Ruiz, Senior Assistant, Rheumatology Division, Hospital Universitario Cruces, Bizkaia, Spain, was in Dublin recently to address the New Horizons in Rheumatology Meeting, which took place in the Science Gallery at TCD. Prof…