This ailment is in fact on the upswing, specifically among males. Today, over eight million people are diagnosed with the condition, a number double that half a century ago.
Historically, gout was considered a disease of the upper class. But this is just a widely held myth; gout is capable of afflicting people of any social standing, let alone physical fitness.
Fame, if anything, is certainly no hindrance to gout. Here is an abbreviated list of famous men, spanning medieval and modern times, who have been diagnosed with gout.
Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin is a popular case. One of America’s founding fathers, who discovered electricity and invented bifocals, often failed to attend meetings for the drafting of the Declaration of Independence. The reason? Gout. Fortunately, Thomas Jefferson went out of his way to let Franklin review the documents at home.David Wells
Belying his superhuman reputation in baseball, pitcher David Wells of the New York Yankees has grappled with gout for the most part of his professional career.In his bestselling autobiography Perfect I’m Not: Boomer on Beer, Brawls, Backaches, and Baseball
, Wells recalled his struggle with the condition, especially its very first flare.He remembered waking up one morning and walking toward the bathroom when he shrieked “like a six-year-girl” and instinctively flopped down to touch his hurting toe.
