Gout affects around 1–2% of the Western population at some point in their lives and it is becoming more common. Rates of gout have about doubled between 1990 and 2010. This rise is believed to be due to increasing life expectancy, changes in diet, and an increase in diseases associated with gout, such as metabolic syndrome and high blood pressure. A number of factors have been found to influence rates of gout, including age, race, and the season of the year. In men over the age of 30 and women over the age of 50, prevalence is 2%.