Studies Say Men at Higher Risk, Beer and Cider Are Most Harmful

Alcohol consumption increases the risk of gout in both men and women, with men being particularly at risk, a recent study has found.

Gout is a complicated form of arthritis that causes inflammation, pain, and problems with joint mobility. It is a condition characterized by elevated levels of uric acid in the blood, which leads 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 US, about 4% adultsAbout 9.2 million people suffer from gout.

The latest on a huge scale test published in JAMA Network Open examined the association between alcohol consumption and gout risk using data from 401,128 UK Biobank participants. While previous studies have examined this association, the current study focused on examining gender-specific associations between alcohol consumption and gout.

This test The study included participants aged 37 to 73 years who were free from gout at baseline (2006–2010) through December 31, 2021. Data analysis took place from August 2023 to June 2024.

The researchers then found that current alcohol consumption increased the risk of gout in men, with the risk increasing with greater frequency of consumption. They also noted that higher total alcohol consumption increased the risk of gout in both sexes, more so in men than in women.

When examining specific types of alcoholic beverages, beer and cider were associated with the highest risk of gout in both men and women. White wine, champagne, and spirits also showed an increased risk of gout, but to a lesser extent.

“These results indicate that specific alcoholic beverages are associated with a similar risk of gout in men and women and that alcohol consumption should be confined to prevent gout regardless of gender,” the researchers wrote.

The researchers believe the gender difference in this association may be due in part to differences between men and women in the type of alcohol they consumed. “Specifically, women, compared with men, consumed significantly less beer or cider, which was the most strongly associated with gout among the specific alcoholic beverages,” the researchers wrote.

The researchers caution that their study has some limitations, including residual confounding factors and reliance on self-reported alcohol consumption data.