News

Drinking Coffee May Help Cut Men's Gout Risk


 

Drinking multiple cups of coffee each day may reduce the risk of gout in men, according to data from a prospective study of nearly 50,000 men.

Studies of coffee's effects on the body are important for public health, because so many people drink so much of it, wrote Dr. Hyon K. Choi of the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, and colleagues. “More than 50% of Americans drink coffee,” they noted, and the average per capita intake is approximately two cups per day.

Coffee is a major source of the phenol known as chlorogenic acid, which is a very powerful antioxidant (Arthritis Rheum. 2007;56:2049–55). Data from previous studies suggest that chlorogenic acid may reduce plasma glucose concentrations and interact with other antioxidants that are present in coffee to reduce oxidative stress and, consequently, reduce the risk of developing gout.

Other components of coffee may also play a role in reducing gout risk by affecting insulin resistance.

To determine the relationship between coffee consumption and gout, the investigators studied 45,869 adult men with no baseline history of gout. The men's coffee consumption was assessed at 4-year intervals over a 12-year follow-up period using a validated questionnaire. An additional questionnaire was used to determine whether the men met the American College of Rheumatology's criteria for gout.

The researchers identified 757 confirmed incident cases of gout, and found that the risk for gout was 59% lower in men who drank six or more cups of coffee per day and 40% lower among men who drank four to five cups of coffee per day.

The risk reduction was 8% among men who drank one to three cups of coffee per day, and 3% among men who drank less than one cup of coffee per day.

The association between increased coffee intake and reduced risk of gout was independent of dietary factors and other variables including body mass index, age, hypertension, alcohol consumption, diuretic use, and chronic renal failure. No significant associations were found between total caffeine intake and risk for gout, and there was no apparent effect on gout risk for men who consumed caffeine from noncoffee sources, the researchers noted.

A modest association was noted between decaffeinated coffee consumption and a reduced risk for gout (a 27% reduction in men who drank at least four cups per day), but tea consumption was not associated with a reduced risk.

Because individuals can develop a tolerance for caffeine over time with respect to variables such as blood pressure and heart rate, long-term caffeine intake alone may not have a significant effect on the risk for gout, the researchers noted.

The investigation was limited by its observational nature, and the findings may not be generalizable to women, they added.

The study was sponsored in part by TAP Pharmaceutical Products Inc.

Dr. Choi has served on the advisory boards of Savient Pharmaceuticals Inc. and TAP.

ELSEVIER GLOBAL MEDICAL NEWS

Men who drank one to three cups per day cut their gout risk by 8%. Lynda Banzi/Elsevier Global Medical News

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