Risk factors

Factors that can increase your risk of pseudogout include:

• Older age. The risk of developing pseudogout increases with age.
• Joint trauma. Trauma to a joint, such as a serious injury or surgery, increases your risk of pseudogout in that joint.
• Genetic disorder. In some families, a predisposition for developing pseudogout is hereditary. These people tend to develop pseudogout at younger ages.
• Mineral imbalances. The risk of pseudogout is higher for people who have excessive calcium or iron in their blood or too little magnesium.
• Other medical conditions. Pseudogout has also been linked to an underactive thyroid gland or an overactive parathyroid gland.