NCD Watch

Be Aware of Gout Attacks

9 December 2025 (Tue)

Gout, characterised by an acute onset of severe pain, swelling and redness in the joints, is the most common form of inflammatory arthritis affecting adults worldwide. Gout is caused by hyperuricaemia, or increased uric acid levels in the blood. Normally, the body excretes most of the uric acid in urine through the kidneys. However, if the body produces too much or excretes too little uric acid, the level of uric acid in the blood builds up. When crystalised in the form of needle-like urates and deposited in joints or surrounding tissues, it would induce inflammation and trigger a gout attack.

In Hong Kong, three out of every hundred people experience various degrees of gout. After adjusting the age factor, the age-adjusted incidence of gout increased from 92.9 per 100 000 person-years in 2006 to 133.5 per 100 000 person-year in 2016. Among gout patients, it is common to have coexisting chronic conditions including hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and obesity.

There is no cure for gout yet, but the disease is preventable and controllable through healthy living, proper care and medication — having a balanced diet and limiting intake of high-purine foods such as organ meat and red meats, avoiding alcoholic beverages and sugar-sweetened drinks, staying well-hydrated, maintaining an optimal weight, being physically active, and taking medications as prescribed by doctor.

Source: NCD Watch December 2025