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Gout

105 Rheumatology doctors in Hong Kong →

Also known as: Gouty arthritis · High uric acid ·

Gout is caused by persistently high uric acid in the blood, with crystals collecting in a joint and producing sudden severe pain — most often in the big toe, but also in the feet, ankles, hands, wrists, elbows or knees, with hot, swollen, red skin over it. An attack usually settles within one to two weeks. The Centre for Health Protection states that there is as yet no cure, but that a healthy lifestyle helps keep uric acid at the desired level.

Hong Kong has 105 registered Rheumatology doctors.

Source: Medical Council of Hong Kong register · read 2026-09-20

ok.med editorial team ·
Compiled by the editorial team from the sources listed below. Not reviewed by an individual doctor.

What does an attack feel like?

The NHS describes sudden severe pain in a joint — usually the big toe, but it can be elsewhere in the feet, or the ankles, hands, wrists, elbows or knees — with hot, swollen, red skin over the area.

The NHS notes that even untreated, an attack usually settles within one to two weeks — but that where gout is left untreated, attacks may last progressively longer. That is worth noting, because “it passes if I wait” is exactly why many people do not seek care, and in the short run it appears to be true.

The Centre for Health Protection explains the mechanism: persistently high uric acid in the blood, whether from overproduction or insufficient excretion, forms needle-shaped urate crystals that settle in a joint and cause the inflammation and swelling.

How common is gout in Hong Kong?

The Centre for Health Protection’s NCD Watch used a blunt title: gout is no longer a “disease of kings”. It states that prevalence in Hong Kong rose over the preceding decade, and that crude prevalence in 2016 was 2.9% — comparable to Western developed countries.

That figure is worth stating early because gout carries a long-standing reputation as the consequence of living too well — a reputation that delays care and frames it as a lifestyle verdict rather than a condition to manage. At 2.9% it is neither rare nor confined to any one group.

The same publication states that there is as yet no cure. The aim is therefore not to be rid of it but to keep uric acid at the desired level and reduce attacks — a distinction that bears directly on whether someone stays with long-term follow-up.

Medical Council of Hong Kong register

105 Rheumatology doctors in Hong Kong

All 105 ›

The doctors below are listed from the Medical Council of Hong Kong register. This is not a recommendation, and says nothing about outcomes for this condition. Ask the doctor directly.

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Who is at higher risk of gout?

The NHS lists being overweight, alcohol, certain medicines such as diuretics and some blood pressure drugs, the menopause, family history, and existing conditions — high cholesterol, high blood pressure, kidney disease, diabetes and osteoarthritis — with previous surgery or injury also among them.

The point about medicines deserves attention: if an attack occurs while taking a diuretic or a blood pressure medicine, that is information for the doctor rather than a reason to stop the medicine. The hypertension guide here covers the related follow-up.

Which foods need avoiding?

This section uses local material because it sits far closer to what is actually eaten here than any overseas list. The Department of Health Elderly Health Service’s dietary principles for gout name the high-purine foods item by item, and many are everyday local ingredients and tonics.

The most notable thing about this list is that several items are local tonics rather than ordinary dishes: essence of chicken, beef extract and thick meat broth are what relatives bring when someone is unwell. Overseas material never mentions them, because the custom does not exist there — and in Hong Kong that is precisely the part that needs saying out loud.

The same sheet sets out low-fat cooking methods: steaming, braising, blanching and baking; a non-stick pan or quick stir-frying with little oil where frying is needed; removing skin and fat from meat and poultry before cooking; and measuring cooking oil with a spoon.

On fluids, the Centre for Health Protection advises taking enough, with plain water the best choice; the Elderly Health Service material likewise notes that drinking more fluid helps the body clear excess uric acid. What to avoid alongside is alcohol and drinks high in fructose.

The food choices set out by the Elderly Health Service
CategoryFoods
Avoid: high purineAlcoholic drinks, beer especially; offal such as liver, intestine, kidney and heart
Avoid: high purineSardines, eel, dried small fish and hairtail; fish skin and roe
Avoid: high purineScallops, dried scallops, mussels, oysters, prawns, crab and dried shrimp
Avoid: high purineThick meat gravy, thick meat broth, beef extract and essence of chicken
Also avoidFull-fat milk and cheese, non-dairy creamer; sugary drinks such as soft drinks and juice; sugary foods such as cake and cookies
Choose insteadGrains, vegetables and gourds, fruit; lean meat, eggs and tofu; low-fat or skimmed dairy; water and plain tea

At a glance

The gout diet set out by the Department

The gout diet set out by the Department of Health’s Elderly Health Service: high-purine foods to avoid include alcohol and beer especially, offal, sardines, eel, dried small fish, hairtail, fish skin and roe, scallops, dried scallops, mussels, oysters, prawns, crab and dried shrimp, plus thick meat gravy, thick meat broth, beef extract and essence of chicken; choose instead grains, vegetables and gourds, fruit, lean meat, eggs, tofu, low-fat dairy, water and plain tea.
Source: Department of Health, Elderly Health Service, dietary principles for gout · Read the original ›

When should a doctor be seen?

The NHS advises seeing a doctor for a first episode, or when the usual treatment stops working. A separate set of symptoms calls for urgent attention.

The urgent set is worsening joint pain together with a high temperature, nausea or loss of appetite. The NHS notes this may indicate an infected joint — and an infected joint can look very much like a gout attack, red, swollen, hot and painful alike. That is exactly why appearance alone should not settle it.

On diagnosis, it explains that a doctor usually asks about diet and alcohol and measures uric acid with a blood test, with referral and sampling of joint fluid where the diagnosis remains unclear.

On treatment, this page describes only the structure: medicines for the inflammation during an attack, and long-term urate-lowering medicines to prevent recurrence, the latter working only if taken consistently. The last item on the Centre for Health Protection’s prevention list is precisely “take medicines as prescribed by your doctor”. What and how much is for the doctor; this page recommends nothing.

What keeps it under control long term?

The Centre for Health Protection sets out the lifestyle for preventing attacks: a balanced diet avoiding high-purine foods; avoiding alcohol and drinks high in fructose; taking enough fluid, with plain water best; keeping to a moderate weight; being physically active; and taking medicines as prescribed.

One detail about weight is easily missed. The Elderly Health Service material advises that people who are overweight should control weight through healthy eating and more activity — but that the rate of loss should not be rushed. Rapid weight loss is not simply better here, which differs from general weight advice.

At policy level, the Centre for Health Protection notes that the Government launched Towards 2025: Strategy and Action Plan to Prevent and Control Non-communicable Diseases in Hong Kong in 2018, and that several of its nine local targets for 2025 bear on gout and its complications — among them reducing the prevalence of drinking and halting the rise in obesity.

What matters particularly in Hong Kong?

Two things: gout is not rare here, and several of the high-purine foods the Department of Health names are staples of the local table and local tonics that overseas material never mentions.

  • The Centre for Health Protection states that gout prevalence in Hong Kong rose over the preceding decade, and that crude prevalence in 2016 was 2.9%, comparable to Western developed countries.Centre for Health Protection, Department of Health: NCD Watch, April 2019 · read · (source)
  • The same publication states that there is as yet no cure for gout, and that attacks can be prevented through a healthy lifestyle that helps keep blood uric acid at the desired level.Centre for Health Protection, Department of Health: NCD Watch, April 2019 · read · (source)
  • The Department of Health’s Elderly Health Service names the high-purine foods to avoid: alcoholic drinks and beer especially, offal, sardines, eel, dried small fish and hairtail, fish skin and roe, scallops, dried scallops, mussels, oysters, prawns, crab and dried shrimp, and thick meat gravy, thick meat broth, beef extract and essence of chicken.Department of Health, Elderly Health Service: dietary principles for gout · read · (source)
  • The same material advises that people who are overweight should manage weight through healthy eating and more physical activity, but that the rate of weight loss should not be rushed.Department of Health, Elderly Health Service: dietary principles for gout · read · (source)
  • The Centre for Health Protection notes that the Government launched Towards 2025: Strategy and Action Plan to Prevent and Control Non-communicable Diseases in 2018, and that several of its nine local targets bear on gout and its complications, including reducing the prevalence of drinking and halting the rise in obesity.Centre for Health Protection, Department of Health: NCD Watch, April 2019 · read · (source)

When should help be sought quickly?

  • Worsening joint pain with a high temperature, nausea or loss of appetite — this may be an infected joint and needs urgent attention.
  • A first episode of sudden severe joint pain with redness, swelling and heat.
  • The usual approach no longer works, or attacks are becoming more frequent or longer.
  • An attack while taking a diuretic or blood pressure medicine — tell the doctor rather than stopping it yourself.
  • Known high uric acid with no follow-up arrangement in place.

Each has its own page and doctor list

Conditions related to Gout

By district

Which districts have Rheumatology doctors?

Frequently asked questions

Is gout just the result of eating too well?
That impression is out of date. The Centre for Health Protection titled its bulletin “Gout: no longer a disease of kings”, noting prevalence rose over the preceding decade to a crude 2.9% in 2016, comparable to Western developed countries. The risk factors also include weight, certain medicines, kidney disease, family history and the menopause.
What about essence of chicken and thick broth?
The Department of Health’s Elderly Health Service lists thick meat gravy, thick meat broth, beef extract and essence of chicken among the high-purine foods to avoid. These are often treated as tonics here and brought by visiting relatives, which is why it is worth saying explicitly.
Can gout be cured?
The Centre for Health Protection states there is as yet no cure. The aim is to keep blood uric acid at the desired level and reduce attacks, through a balanced diet, avoiding alcohol and high-fructose drinks, enough fluid, a moderate weight, physical activity, and medicines as prescribed.
What if it is left alone?
The NHS notes that even untreated an attack usually settles within one to two weeks, but that where gout is left untreated attacks may last progressively longer. Attacks becoming more frequent or longer is itself a reason to see a doctor.
Does a red, hot, swollen joint always mean gout?
Not necessarily. The NHS notes that worsening joint pain with a high temperature, nausea or loss of appetite may indicate an infected joint — and an infected joint can look much like a gout attack, so appearance alone should not settle it.
What if I get gout while on blood pressure medicine?
The NHS lists diuretics and some blood pressure medicines among the risk factors. Tell the doctor and let them decide whether anything needs adjusting; do not stop the medicine yourself.

Sources

  1. NHS: gout — symptoms and the joints affected, how long an attack lasts, causes and risk factors, when to see a doctor and when it is urgent, diagnosis, and the difference between treating an attack and preventing recurrence. NHS ()
  2. Centre for Health Protection, Department of Health: NCD Watch, April 2019, “Gout: no longer a disease of kings” — local prevalence, mechanism, the preventive lifestyle, and the related Towards 2025 targets. Centre for Health Protection, Department of Health ()
  3. Department of Health, Elderly Health Service: dietary principles for gout — the high-purine foods to avoid, what to choose instead, low-fat cooking methods, and the dietary principles for preventing recurrence. Department of Health, Elderly Health Service ()
  4. Department of Health, Elderly Health Service: gout — an overview of the cause, symptoms and management. Department of Health, Elderly Health Service ()

This page is compiled from the Hong Kong official sources listed above. It is general information only — not a diagnosis, a treatment recommendation or medical advice, and no substitute for seeing a doctor. If you are unsure or your condition changes, consult a registered doctor.