UPPER NYACK, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CreakyJoints®, the digital arthritis community for patients and caregivers worldwide and part of the Global Healthy Living Foundation (GHLF), today announced the launch of The Gout Show, a new podcast series and digital destination to raise awareness of one of the most misunderstood and misdiagnosed forms of arthritis: gout. Hosted by Steve Clisby, a professional musician who was recently diagnosed with gout, the five-episode series features experts and fellow patients defining gout, debunking common myths, and sharing useful tips to help other patients take control of their health. In addition to the podcast, there are three bonus patient audio guides about gout diagnosis, risk factors, and the treatment landscape. The Gout Show section of the CreakyJoints website (creakyjoints.org/thegoutshow) includes a quiz about uncontrolled gout, and robust educational and support articles specific to gout. The podcast and patient audio guides are available everywhere podcasts are downloaded.
“Even in 2020, there is a persistent myth that gout is a disease of the upper class, of kings, caused by indulgent consumption of rich foods and alcohol, but that generalization ignores science and the experience of gout patients,” said Louis Tharp, Executive Director and Cofounder of CreakyJoints. “The Gout Show explains this mythology and others, focusing on how people living with gout can recognize a flare and seek treatment to reduce their risk for pain, inflammation and joint damage, so that they can concentrate on the activities of life important to them. Too many people suffer from uncontrolled gout, and The Gout Show speaks directly to them with positive messages of hope and help.”
Gout Facts, Not Fiction
It is estimated that nearly 4 percent of the U.S. population (or 9.2 million people) are living with gout, a form of arthritis that causes severe, sudden attacks of inflammation, often in the toe joints or other large joints. Attacks occur following an overproduction of urate in the blood (known as hyperuricemia), which causes uric acid crystals to build up in the joints and trigger debilitating pain. Gout is a genetic condition. While more men than women get gout, anyone is susceptible if their body doesn’t properly break down uric acid before it crystallizes in the joints.
“The good news is that gout is highly treatable, but in order to address it with our patients, they have to recognize their symptoms and report them to their doctor,” said Payam Shakouri, MD, a nephrologist with Advanced Kidney Care of Hudson Valley in New York and a medical adviser to CreakyJoints. “Not only can gout be disabling disruptive to a person’s quality of life, but it can cause serious damage to joints, bones and organs. I’m pleased to contribute advice on The Gout Show and encourage people living with gout to listen to the series and report any symptoms they might have to their health-provider team.”
The Gout Show also includes expert advice from Theodore R. Fields, MD, a rheumatologist at the Hospital for Special Surgery and Professor of Clinical Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City.
While physicians guide the science of the podcast, patients drive the narrative. “I was surprised when — at age 32 — I was diagnosed with gout after experiencing pain in my knee. I thought it was a simple running injury that I could rehab, and I mistakenly thought gout started just in the big toe,” said Ashley Newton, a CreakyJoints member who shares her gout story in episode one of The Gout Show. “As I’ve learned more about gout, I’ve prioritized keeping up with my treatments, tracking my symptoms in CreakyJoints’ ArthritisPower® Research Registry, and sharing what I know about gout with other people in the event they may be experiencing symptoms that need to be reported to a doctor.”
The Gout Show is available on all major streaming platforms as well as on the CreakyJoints website. It was made possible by funding from Horizon Therapeutics.
About CreakyJoints
CreakyJoints is a digital community for millions of arthritis patients and caregivers worldwide who seek education, support, advocacy, and patient-centered research. We represent patients in English and Spanish through our popular social media channels, our websites CreakyJoints.org, CreakyJoints.org.es, CreakyJoints.org.au, and the 50-State Network, which includes more than 1,500 trained volunteer patient, caregiver, and health care activists.
As part of the Global Healthy Living Foundation, CreakyJoints also has a patient-reported outcomes registry called ArthritisPower (ArthritisPower.org) with more than 29,000 consented arthritis patients who track their disease while volunteering to participate in longitudinal and observational research. CreakyJoints also publishes the popular “Raising the Voice of Patients” series, which are downloadable patient-centered educational and navigational tools for managing chronic illness. It also hosts PainSpot (PainSpot.org), a digital risk assessment tool for musculoskeletal conditions and injuries, and eRheum (eRheum.org) for telehealth and virtual care support. For more information and to become a member (for free), visit CreakyJoints.org.
Find us on social media:
Facebook: facebook.com/CreakyJoints and facebook.com/GlobalHealthyLivingFoundation
Twitter: @GHLForg, @CreakyJoints, #CreakyChats
Instagram: @creaky_joints, @creakyjoints_aus, @creakyjoints_esp
YouTube: youtube.com/user/CreakyJointsInc
TikTok: globalhealthylivingfnd
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/ghlf
