Dr. Richard Johnson

That's right.

So anyway, so for a long time, people linked gout with being a rich man's disease, also with being overweight, obese, hypertensive, all these conditions. It's about 70% of people with gout are overweight. I mean, it's like a very strong association. 60 or 70% are diabetic. I mean, it's a very strong link. And

So anyway, so for a long time, people linked gout with being a rich man's disease, also with being overweight, obese, hypertensive, all these conditions. It's about 70% of people with gout are overweight. I mean, it's like a very strong association. 60 or 70% are diabetic. I mean, it's a very strong link. And

So anyway, so for a long time, people linked gout with being a rich man's disease, also with being overweight, obese, hypertensive, all these conditions. It's about 70% of people with gout are overweight. I mean, it's like a very strong association. 60 or 70% are diabetic. I mean, it's a very strong link. And

People were saying for years, you know, hypertension and diabetes and obesity increase your risk for gout. But actually, the high uric acid usually precedes the development of obesity. It precedes the development of diabetes. It precedes the development of kidney disease. It's one of the earliest markers that predicts the development of these conditions. It's a very strong predictor.

People were saying for years, you know, hypertension and diabetes and obesity increase your risk for gout. But actually, the high uric acid usually precedes the development of obesity. It precedes the development of diabetes. It precedes the development of kidney disease. It's one of the earliest markers that predicts the development of these conditions. It's a very strong predictor.

People were saying for years, you know, hypertension and diabetes and obesity increase your risk for gout. But actually, the high uric acid usually precedes the development of obesity. It precedes the development of diabetes. It precedes the development of kidney disease. It's one of the earliest markers that predicts the development of these conditions. It's a very strong predictor.

And when we were studying it, we realized that uric acid doesn't just form crystals and cause inflammation. Uric acid is biologically active. And one of its main things that it does is it acts on mitochondria, those little energy factories, and it causes stress to them and reduces their energy production. Think about that. Okay.

And when we were studying it, we realized that uric acid doesn't just form crystals and cause inflammation. Uric acid is biologically active. And one of its main things that it does is it acts on mitochondria, those little energy factories, and it causes stress to them and reduces their energy production. Think about that. Okay.

And when we were studying it, we realized that uric acid doesn't just form crystals and cause inflammation. Uric acid is biologically active. And one of its main things that it does is it acts on mitochondria, those little energy factories, and it causes stress to them and reduces their energy production. Think about that. Okay.

So anyway, so I was studying uric acid and that took me to, you know, what, we had this evidence that it was driving blood pressure and might have a cause in hypertension. And we did this study actually in adolescents who were overweight, where we lowered uric acid in them and their blood pressure corrected it. And we published it in the JAMA. It was a big deal.

So anyway, so I was studying uric acid and that took me to, you know, what, we had this evidence that it was driving blood pressure and might have a cause in hypertension. And we did this study actually in adolescents who were overweight, where we lowered uric acid in them and their blood pressure corrected it. And we published it in the JAMA. It was a big deal.

So anyway, so I was studying uric acid and that took me to, you know, what, we had this evidence that it was driving blood pressure and might have a cause in hypertension. And we did this study actually in adolescents who were overweight, where we lowered uric acid in them and their blood pressure corrected it. And we published it in the JAMA. It was a big deal.

Yeah. We used the drug to lower the uric acid and 90% of them or so became normotensive. It was amazing. They'd never received a blood pressure test.

Yeah. We used the drug to lower the uric acid and 90% of them or so became normotensive. It was amazing. They'd never received a blood pressure test.

Yeah. We used the drug to lower the uric acid and 90% of them or so became normotensive. It was amazing. They'd never received a blood pressure test.

Then the question was, what drives the uric acid up? Most people think of alcohol and actually things like red meats, but actually one of the major things that raises uric acid is fructose and sugar. And so actually Gary Taubes, who I'm sure you know, interviewed me related to a paper that was published in the New England Journal on gout and its relationship with, you know, with diet.

Then the question was, what drives the uric acid up? Most people think of alcohol and actually things like red meats, but actually one of the major things that raises uric acid is fructose and sugar. And so actually Gary Taubes, who I'm sure you know, interviewed me related to a paper that was published in the New England Journal on gout and its relationship with, you know, with diet.

Then the question was, what drives the uric acid up? Most people think of alcohol and actually things like red meats, but actually one of the major things that raises uric acid is fructose and sugar. And so actually Gary Taubes, who I'm sure you know, interviewed me related to a paper that was published in the New England Journal on gout and its relationship with, you know, with diet.

And when we were talking on the phone, he says, well, what do you think about sugar as a driver of uric acid? I said, well, it's definitely is a driver. It's the fructose component. And then, you know, and, you know, after I had my conversation with him, I went home and I thought, you know, we should give fructose to animals and see if they develop high blood pressure.