Learn more about the gout-heart connection during American Heart Month.
Gout does far more than inflame your joints. When you live with gout, you are also more likely to face high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, kidney disease, and ultimately a higher risk of heart attack, stroke, and heart failure. In fact, having gout doubles a person’s risk for a heart attack or stroke. These two conditions can go hand-in-hand with each other as dangerous comorbidities.
If you have gout, high blood pressure or heart disease, learn how you can protect your health, lower your uric acid levels, and prevent long-term damage.
How are gout and heart disease connected?
Gout stems from excess uric acid forming crystals in your joints, driving intense, recurring inflammation. That same chronic, low‑grade inflammation affects blood vessels and the heart, contributing to plaque buildup, stiff arteries, and damage to the cardiovascular system. People with gout are disproportionately diagnosed with hypertension, metabolic syndrome, and obesity, all of which dramatically increase the odds of coronary artery disease and heart failure.
In other words, a gout flare isn’t just a “joint problem”: it’s a signal of deeper systemic issues that can quietly harm your heart and kidneys over time. Recognizing gout as a cardiovascular red flag is the first step to managing both conditions more effectively.
What lifestyle changes help gout and heart health?
Because gout and heart disease share many of the same risk factors, a single eating pattern can be beneficial to both. However, it’s important to recognize there is no “gout diet” that will cure the disease — lowering uric acid levels through medication should be the first option. The DASH diet — which stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension — emphasizes vegetables and fruits, whole grains, moderate amounts of low‑fat dairy, nuts, and lean proteins like skinless poultry and lower‑purine fish, to support healthy cholesterol and blood pressure, which helps control uric acid. It’s also recommended to limit red meats, organ meats, purine‑dense seafoods (such as anchovies and sardines), sugary drinks and alcohol — especially beer — as they can trigger or worsen a flare.
Hydration is a simple but powerful tool when you’re managing these comorbidities. Drinking plenty of water helps your kidneys flush uric acid and supports better blood pressure control, which is crucial when gout and heart disease overlap.
Physical inactivity fuels both gout and cardiovascular disease, but pain during a flare can make movement feel intimidating. Low‑impact activities such as walking on flat surfaces, cycling, swimming, or water aerobics can improve cardiovascular fitness, lower blood pressure, and support weight management without putting excessive strain on vulnerable joints. Even short activity bursts after meals can improve blood sugar and lipid levels, directly targeting the cluster of comorbidities that often accompany gout.
If you’re recovering from a flare, work with your clinician to tailor an exercise and health plan. That way, you continue to gain heart benefits while respecting the realities of joint pain and stiffness.
Additionally, ensure you’re also treating other health conditions. Obesity, high lipid levels, kidney disease and, diabetes can elevate uric acid, leading to gout flares and potential heart health issues.
Gender also plays a role: While gout and heart health issues can affect anyone, women with gout are 3.5 times more likely to have a heart attack as men.
What medications should I take for gout and heart disease?
Managing uric acid is part of managing heart health. When taken consistently, medications like allopurinol or febuxostat reduce the potential of flares occurring, but evidence suggests that controlling uric acid may also help lower certain cardiovascular risks linked to chronic inflammation and oxidative stress. At the same time, many people with gout need blood pressure drugs, statins, and diabetes medications, which are essential for reducing heart attack and stroke risk.
Because gout and heart disease coexist, no medication decision should be made in isolation. Talk with your healthcare team about how your gout regimen and your cardiac medications fit together, and track your full comorbidity picture with regular monitoring of uric acid, blood pressure, and cholesterol using out Crystal Clear checklist.
How do I reduce gout and heart risks?
If you have gout or cardiovascular issues, maintaining a healthy serum uric acid level of 6.0 mg/dL or below is important to reduce risk. Like other healthy benchmark numbers for blood pressure, heart rate, cholesterol and blood sugar, knowing your uric acid level is important, too. For more information about the gout-heart connection, read our Gout and Heart Health Comorbidity brochure.
