Hospital admissions have almost doubled in a decade
Soaring numbers of patients are being admitted to hospital with gout triggered by obesity and heavy drinking.
The painful illness is known as the disease of kings as it afflicted a number of monarchs including Henry VIII.
Hospital admissions have almost doubled in a decade to more than 4,400 a year.
On the rise: The swollen foot of a patient with gout, also known as uric acid arthropathy
Experts blame eating and drinking to excess for the illness caused by a build-up in the blood of uric acid, a waste product formed by the breakdown of food, beer and wine.
If someone produces too much uric acid tiny crystals will start to form in the joints and cause pain and inflammation.
