Gout is a condition where the uric acid content in blood raises beyond normal level resulting in painful arthritic attacks and this leads to the formation of tiny crystals of urate which gets deposited on cartilage and other tissues of body. The crystals formed in the joint can lead to inflammation of joint and also arthritis. In chronic stages of gout the crystal gets deposited in various tissues that can cause destruction of joints, kidney stones and also blockage of the kidney filtering tubules with uric acid crystals leading to kidney failure.

Hyperuricemia is a related problem where people have elevated uric acid level but are not affected with arthritis or kidney failure. Not all people with Hyperuricemia develop gout. Gouty arthritis is another result of gout, here the uric acid gets deposited in the joint fluid (synovial fluid) and joint lining (synovial lining) causing intense joint inflammation. Gout is most common in men between 30 and 45, and in women between ages 55 and 70.