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Risk factors

By Mayo Clinic staff

Several factors are known to increase your risk of developing CPPD crystals that can increase your risk of pseudogout, including:

  • Older age. Older adults are more likely to experience pseudogout because CPPD crystals are more commonly found in the joints of older people.
  • Joint trauma. Trauma to a joint, such as a serious injury or a joint replacement surgery, increases your risk of developing CPPD crystals in your joints.
  • Genetic disorder. Families can pass predisposition to CPPD crystals through their genes. People with familial chondrocalcinosis, the name for the inherited condition, tend to develop signs and symptoms of CPPD disease at younger ages.
  • Excess iron stored in your body (hemochromatosis). This inherited disorder causes your body to store excess iron in your organs and the tissues around your joints. It's believed the iron in your joints leads to the development of CPPD crystals.
References
  1. Pseudogout. American College of Rheumatology. http://www.rheumatology.org/public/factsheets/diseases_and_conditions/pseudogout.asp. Accessed Feb. 15, 2010.
  2. Mercier LR. Pseudogout. In: Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2010. St. Louis, Mo.: Mosby; 2009: 380. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/182089558-3/949024313/2088/537.html#4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05609-0..00025-3--sc0320_11038. Accessed Feb. 15, 2010.
  3. Gravel JG, et al. Rheumatic diseases. In: Rakel RE. Rakel: Textbook of Family Medicine. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/182089558-3/949024313/1481/505.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2467-5..50045-2--cesec51_2681. Accessed Feb. 15, 2010.
  4. Becker MA. Clinical manifestations and diagnosis of calcium pyrophosphate crystal deposition disease. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 15, 2010.
  5. Becker MA. Pathogenesis and etiology of calcium pyrophosphate crystal deposition disease. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 15, 2010.
  6. Calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystal deposition disease (CPPD) (pseudo gout). The Arthritis Foundation. http://www.arthritis.org/disease-center.php?disease_id=7&df=treatments. Accessed Feb. 15, 2010.
  7. Richette P, et al. An update on the epidemiology of calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystal deposition disease. Rheumatology. 2009;48:711.
  8. Chang-Miller A (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Feb. 23, 2010.
DS00717 April 2, 2010

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