Odds of Developing Gout About 19x Normal Rate

According to one study, the odds of my developing gout before my 30th birthday were about 19 times the normal rate.  My ABCG2 protein is about half functioning since I'm homozygous in the loss of function mutation Q141K.  Talk about the odds not being in my favor!  There is also the complete loss of function mutation, Q126K, that I'm thankfully not a recipient of.  Here's a handy chart showing that no to half functioning ABCG2 increases the odds of developing gout in one's lifetime.  Early onset gout, before the age of 30, is associated with mild to severe ABCG2 function.

Having no to only half function of the ABCG2 protein account for about 33% of all gout cases according to another study.  Most people with gout have some loss of ABCG2 function, about 75% of normal, or due to non-ABCG2 function factors (lifestyle choices perhaps?).   Here's another handy chart showing that no to half function in ABCG2 accounts for about a third of all gout patients.  Note that the odds for having normal uric acid levels, below 7 mg/dL for men, is slim to almost none for these patients.

One rheumatologist blew me off since it's unusual for women to develop gout so young, but she may not have been familiar with the genetic factor for developing gout.  Estrogen seems to upregulate ABCG2 function so women are generally not susceptible for developing gout before menopause.  So I cannot blame the rheumatologist.  Most gout patients, after all, have most or all of their ABCG2 function.  Many may have been overindulging in alcohol, purine rich foods, and even enjoying HFCS beverages quite a bit.  Many times its due to aging and the kidneys not functioning as well as they used to.  The ABCG2 protein is currently being studied so doctors may not be very familiar with it right now.

It helps to be more aware of the genetic factor however.  Looking at the charts my daughter is still more susceptible for gout than the average person with her ABCG2 being 75% functioning.  It's probably wise for her not to get on protein rich diets and not take whey protein on a regular basis if she wants to remain gout free.