Alcohol abuse
Gout
Over-eating
Possibly other health issues
Has he tried celery seed extract for his gout? It got rid of mine and brought my uric acid levels down below 7. I take 75 mg twice a day. This is the celery seed extract that has been standardized at 3nB (the compound which makes it effective). That seems to be the most effective. There is some solid human research on this stuff. There are also some preliminary results about how it can help with hypertension.
I meant to say standardized at 85 % 3nB.