GOUT  Gout  is  a  metabolic  disease  that  most  often  affects  middle-aged  to  elderly  men  and  postmenopausal  women.  It  results  from  an  increased  body  pool  of  urate  with  hyperuricemia. Hyperuricemia may  arise in a wide range of settings that cause overproduction or reduced excretion of uric acid or a combination of the two. Causes Gout  occurs