Gout: A growing health concern in Malaysia
It can cause serious complications including kidney disease, infections and loss of mobility if left untreated.
25 May 2025 06:02pm
In Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, 4.35 million people suffer from gout, with cases rising 21 per cent from 1990 to 2020. Photo: Canva
MALAYSIA is facing an increase in cases of gout, which has become a public health crisis due to the country being among those with the highest obesity rates in Asia.
In Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, 4.35 million people suffer from gout, with cases rising 21 per cent from 1990 to 2020.
Sunway Medical Centre, Sunway City (SMC) consultant physician and rheumatologist Dr Lydia Pok Say Lee said gout can cause serious complications including kidney disease, infections and loss of mobility if left untreated.
"With a rise in cases, widespread awareness and early action are urgently needed. The main signs of a gout attack include sudden joint pain and swelling without injury especially in the big toe and may also affect the ankles, knees, elbows, wrists and fingers," she said in a statement issued by SMC recently.
Gout is a form of inflammatory arthritis caused by excess uric acid in the blood, leading to the formation of sharp crystals in joints, triggering pain often at night or early morning.
Dr Pok associates gout, historically known as the "disease of kings" due to its connection with lavish diets, with modern eating habits as it is now experienced by all socioeconomic groups.
"The increase in the intake of purine-rich foods such as red meat, seafood and alcoholic beverages raises uric acid levels, thereby causing inflammation," she said.
According to her, obesity is one of the main causes, with Malaysia having one of the highest obesity rates in Asia, where nearly 50 per cent of the population suffers from being overweight, which damages kidney functions and makes it more difficult to eliminate uric acid.
She said other contributing factors include metabolic syndrome, hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol, in addition to genetics, which also play a role.
She advises those who experience recurrent gout attacks to seek medical treatment because merely treating the pain is not sufficient; long-term treatment to lower uric acid levels is essential to prevent complications.
She added that with early diagnosis, proper treatment and lifestyle adjustments, Malaysians can prevent the silent epidemic from worsening. - BERNAMA
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