Forget what you think you know about gout.

Gout is a common form of arthritis that can cause sudden bouts of pain, strong enough to wake someone from a deep sleep. It causes inflammation, redness and tenderness in one or more joints and is caused by high levels of uric acid in the blood.

It’s most often associated with the big toe. But it can occur in other joints as well.

For ages, people have thought of gout as a product of a poor lifestyle, with everything from obesity to heavy drinking and rich foods implicated. The diagnosis often causes embarrassment.

A recent study, however, shows that genetics play the most important role in the condition.

An investigation published in Nature Genetics analyzed the genetic information of 2.6 million people around the world. Scientists say the data show that the diagnosis should not be stigmatized.

That’s because the study found that gout is a chronic disease rooted in our genes. While some lifestyle choices, like eating red meat, might trigger an attack, a person’s diet does not cause gout.

Researchers say the blame game with gout needs to end.

Among the genetic factors that strongly contribute to gout is an immune system primed to attack the crystals created by high uric acid levels.

The findings do more than help lift the stigma of gout. Identifying genes that play a part in the condition offers new potential avenues of treatment. One idea is to repurpose a drug prescribed for immune-related diseases.

Gout is well-documented in history. Beethoven, Ben Franklin and Queen Anne all had it. So, as those afflicted anticipate treatment, they are in good, historical company.