What do plants, kidneys and gout have in common? A lot more than you think. The Conversation visited Weed it G’out, an immersive garden that popped up in Kapiʻolani Park in conjunction with this year’s Hawaii Kidney Walk.
"We've got the garden here. So just like you don't want weeds to take over your garden, you don't want uric acid to take over your kidneys," said Amanda Phraner of Amgen.
The campaign highlights the connection between gout and kidney disease, and raises funds for research and advocacy.
"Gout is one of those diseases that has been led by misconceptions. People often talk about diet and exercise. But what we really know from research is that it is a disease of the kidneys," Phraner said. "So it's really important to have these open dialogues where we're looking at it as a disease that requires the right management and the right amount of effort to just make sure that it's not getting out of control."
"Most of it, two-thirds of the reason that uric acid builds up is due to genetics, hereditary, it can be due to medications like anti-organ rejection medications, but really only one-third is related to the foods that you eat," she said.
Living with chronic kidney disease and gout, retired firefighter Chance Mactagone knows all about it. He shared his story of living with gout and working through painful flare-ups.
Mactagone said his condition improved dramatically after starting a new IV therapy. He suffers from a buildup of uric acid crystals on his joints called tophi that often shows up in places like the big toe, or in his case, on his elbow and under his heel.
"I've tried every medicine under the sun over the last, you know, 30 years and not with a whole lot of good result. Now, into my first year of retirement, I get to start off with a little bit quicker step and a little bit less limping," he told HPR.
"All of a sudden your blood pressure starts coming down because you're not in chronic pain. Your kidney function starts to get stronger, better, everything. It's a snowball effect that I'm so, so excited, not only to be a part of but to get others to try it."
This story aired on The Conversation on April 1, 2024. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
