Approximately one in five patients who
develop this condition has a family member
with it (NHS Choices 2014), as there is evidence
of familial predisposition to gout in firstdegree
relatives of patients with gout (Chou
and Lai 1998). Therefore, when a patient
presents with symptoms of gout it is essential
to enquire if any family members have had the
condition, particularly if it presented at a young
age