Gout and kidney problems??

My dad is 59 years old, 6' tall, and about 250 pounds (in process of losing weight). He had a gout attack in September on his knee, and it was very painful for him. He went to his doctor and was diagnosed with gout. Since then, he only had one gout-like attack (not painful at all) on the toe next to his big one, and only lasted a couple of hours. He isn't complaining about pain or anything, thankfully.. but I am still worried about gout in general. I read that high uric acid alone isn't the cause of gout, as many people who have high levels of uric acid don't get gout, so there must be an underlying condition as well as the high levels of uric acid that caused the gout.

I am worried that there is something wrong with his kidneys. My dad said that his doctor never even mentioned anything about his kidneys during his evaluation, so does that mean that his doctor wasn't concerned about it? My dad was hospitalized exactly 2 years ago from a urinary tract infection, could that be related to his gout??

My dad is overweight, drinks about 2 cans of beer a night, and eats seafood occasionally and eats beans and cauliflower, all which have high purine content. He is going to his physician in 2 weeks, I'm just concerned. Does having gout mean that you have kidney problems??

[melissasue017]

He also has high blood pressure (he has been controlling it with Atenolol for the past two years)

[TrudieC]

Having gout doesn't necessarily mean kidney problems.  However, it would be good for him to have a complete blood and urine work up just to be sure.  The alcohol is a real contributor to gout issues and he should also watch his protein intake.