Understanding gout and kidney
9 December 2017
Hong Kong Arthritis & Rheumatism Foundation (HKARF) and Community Rehabilitation Network of the Hong Kong Society for Rehabilitation (CRN) jointly organized a talk “understanding gout and kidney” on 9 December at auditorium of the Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs Association of Hong Kong. There were a total of 176 participants on that day.
Dr. Yim Cheuk Wan, a rheumatologist, pointed out that gout is mainly attributed to high uric acid concentration. Males have a higher incidence rate than females since female hormones promote the excretion of uric acid. However, the difference in incidence rate will decrease with age as menopause suppresses the secretion of female hormones. According to an American study released in 2001, the risk of gout increases with age increases. Low purine diet and balanced diet should be adopted in order to prevent the disease. Moreover, weight control also plays a significant role in reducing the risk of gout. Regular and adequate levels of physical exercise not only promote the blood circulation, but also reduce the accumulation of uric acid and fat. Yet, patients should be reminded that vigorous exercise may eliminate the beneficial effect.
According to Dr. Lo Hok King Stanley, a nephrologist, kidney disease is one of the common comorbidities of gout. About 20-60% of patients with gout have mild to moderate kidney failure problems, such as uric acid stones, acute uric acid nephropathy and chronic urate nephropathy. 10-40% of patients may suffer from nephrolithiasis, the most common gout-associated kidney diseases, which can be diagnosed with ultrasound and computerized tomography (CT). Dr. Lo added that technology advancement in healthcare has significantly reduced the risk of chronic urate nephropathy. Nowadays, treatment of gout depends on managing symptoms, reducing acute inflammation and eliminating uric acid concentration.
The talk gave the public a better understanding of gout. Participants were satisfied with the contents and arrangements of the talk, and looking forward to the upcoming talks on related topics.
