Alcohol consumption increases the risk of gout in both men and women, with men being more significantly affected, a recent study revealed.
Gout is a complex form of arthritis that causes inflammation, pain, and mobility issues in the joint. It is a condition characterized by elevated uric acid levels in the blood, leading to the formation of urate crystals in the joints. Patients may then experience sudden and severe pain, swelling, redness, and tenderness in the affected joints. In the U.S., about 4% of adults, translating to approximately 9.2 million people, are affected by gout.
The latest large-scale study published in JAMA Network Open investigated the relationship between alcohol consumption and gout risk using data from 401,128 participants in the U.K. Biobank. While previous research has explored this link, the current study focused on examining sex-specific associations between alcohol intake and gout.
The study followed participants aged 37 to 73 who were free of gout at the baseline (2006-2010) through December 31, 2021. Data analysis took place between August 2023 and June 2024.
The researchers then discovered that current alcohol use increases the risk of gout in men, with the risk rising with greater frequency of consumption. They also noted that higher total alcohol consumption elevated the risk of gout for both sexes, more strongly for men than for women.
When examining specific types of alcoholic beverages, beer, and cider were linked to the highest gout risk for both men and women. White wine, champagne, and spirits also showed elevated gout risk, but to a lesser extent.
"These findings suggest that specific alcoholic beverages are associated with a similar risk of gout for men and women and that alcohol consumption should be minimized for gout prevention regardless of sex," the researchers wrote.
The researchers believe that the sex-specific difference in the association may be partly due to the difference between men and women in the type of alcohol consumed. "In particular, women as compared with men consumed a considerably lower amount of beer or cider, which was most strongly associated with gout among the specific alcoholic beverages, " the researchers wrote.
The researchers caution that their study has limitations, including residual confounding and reliance on self-reported alcohol consumption data.
