Gout risk high among people who drink beer, cider frequently

Drinking beer or cider, as well as several other alcoholic beverages, in greater amounts appears to contribute to an increased risk of gout for both men and women, according to a prospective study.

The study included 401,128 UK Biobank participants who were between 37 and 73 years of age and were free of gout at baseline. All participants were followed up and asked to complete questionnaires that detailed consumption of total alcohol and specific alcoholic beverages. Gout incidence was ascertained through hospital records.

Of the participants, 179,828 were men (mean age 56.0 years) and 221,300 were women (mean age 56.0 years). Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models showed that compared with never drinking, current drinking was associated with an increased risk of gout among men (hazard ratio [HR], 1.69, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 1.30–2.18) but not among women (HR, 0.83, 95 percent CI, 0.67–1.03).

Among participants with current drinking, higher total alcohol consumption was associated with a heightened risk of gout. Although this was true for both sexes, the association was more pronounced among men (HR, 2.05, 95 percent CI, 1.84–2.30) than women (HR, 1.34, 95 percent CI, 1.12–1.61).

Looking at specific alcoholic beverages, consumption of champagne or white wine, beer or cider, and spirits was each associated with a higher risk of gout among both men and women. Notably, the association was strongest for beer or cider, with consumption amount of 1 pint per day being associated with a 60-percent risk increase (men: HR, 1.60, 95 percent CI, 1.53–1.67; women: HR, 1.62, 95 percent CI, 1.02–2.57).

Meanwhile, light to moderate consumption of specific alcoholic beverages showed a protective association with gout. However, these associations disappeared following adjustments for other alcoholic beverages and after exclusion of participants who had reduced alcohol consumption for health reasons, self-reported poor health, or had cardiovascular disease, cancer, or kidney failure at baseline, or developed gout within the first 2 years of follow-up.