Understanding Gout on TikTok and the Risks of Misinformation

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A review of popular TikTok videos shows that gout information is widespread but often incomplete or misleading.

The study, published in Rheumatology Advances in Practice, looked at what people see when they search for “gout” on TikTok, a social media platform known for short, fast-moving videos with over 1 billion active monthly users.

Social media is now one of the most common places people go to connect and find health information. In one survey, 98% of participants age 12 and older had used social media in the past month, and people with health conditions were even more likely to share health-related content. Another large review of 83 studies showed that social media is used in many areas of health care, including education, telemedicine, research and health promotion.

“This highlights the growing importance of social media as a tool for health education and engagement, particularly among younger populations,” wrote the team of investigators led by Samuela ‘Ofanoa, Ph.D., a research fellow in the Pacific Health Department at the University of Auckland, New Zealand.

Investigators reviewed the top 200 videos related to gout and analyzed 116 of them after removing posts that were irrelevant. Together, these videos had more than 426 million views as of December 5, 2024, showing how many people are turning to TikTok for health information.

“Despite TikTok’s growing influence, little is known about the nature and types of gout-related content being disseminated or how this content engages viewers,” noted investigators.

Many of the videos were created by patients living with gout or their family members (27%), followed by health care professionals (24%) and others (23%).

The team found that 36% of posts had a negative tone, depicting pain, suffering and social embarrassment related to gout flares. About 38% provided health advice — but not all of it was accurate or aligned with medical guidelines. Others chose to use the platform to share their gout journeys (20%) or sell products (19%), such as supplements and herbal remedies.

The majority of content focused on risk factors (45%) and management strategies (79%) for gout, especially diet (90%). This included advice on foods to avoid, such as salt, alcohol and red meat, or “quick fixes,” which can oversimplify the condition. Although diet is important, medical experts stress that gout is a chronic disease driven by uric acid levels, genetics, kidney function and overall health — not just what someone eats.

Interestingly, only seven TikTok videos talked about medications as an approach to gout management, of which the majority discussed steroids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, like ibuprofen. Despite being the standard treatment recommended by rheumatologists, urate-lowering therapy was mentioned in only two videos. Investigators say this “reinforces the limited coverage of gout urate-lowering therapy on social media platforms.”

Investigators noted the study’s cross-sectional design and narrow search strategy limited its ability to draw causal conclusions and may have resulted in a small, less representative sample of TikTok videos. Its focus on English-language, U.S.-based content and on TikTok alone also introduces potential selection bias, especially given the platform’s entertainment-driven nature. Despite these limitations, the exploratory findings highlight the presence of misleading gout information online and underscore the need for future research comparing clinical guidance with social media content.

“TikTok has great potential as a tool to raise awareness around health issues such as gout and promote information that aligns with clinical guidelines,” said ‘Ofanoa. “In an increasingly digital world, there is a need for more health professionals and organizations to seize the opportunity that social media platforms present, and create content that can counter misinformation and improve understanding about gout in our communities.”