Stong relationship between gout and consumption of soft drinks in men

Gout is usually associated with the consumption of copious amounts of red wine and red meat - seen as a disease of those who have access to luxury foods and generally causing mirth among those who have never suffered from it. However, this study, published this week in the British Medical Journal shows that consumption of soft drinks, laden with sugar or fructose are equally to blame.

Gout is the most common inflammatory disease in men and its incidence is growing. Being a disease of lifestyle, it is important to identify its associated risk factors. In the USA a doubling of the prevalance of the disease has coincided with a significant increase in the consumption of soft drinks and fructose. Conventional dietary advice for gout includes the restriction of alcohol and purine intake but with no restriction on the consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks. These soft drinks may contain low levels of purine, but they contain large amounts of fructose - the only carbohydrate known to increase uric acid levels.

The authors studied 46 393 men who had no history of gout and who provided information on their consumption of soft drinks and fructose during 12 years of follow-up. In this time there were 755 confirmed cases of gout and increasing consumption of soft drinks was associated with an increased incidence of gout. Other major contributors to fructose intake were total intake of fruit juice or of fructose rich fruits, such as apples and oranges - which was also associated with an increased incidence of the disease.

Read the full article here http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/336/7639/309