The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 272 No 7296 p498
24 April 2004

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Alcohol, especially beer, is linked to increased gout risk

Certain alcoholic drinks are associated with an increased risk of gout, new data have confirmed.

In a study involving just over 47,000 men, researchers found that risk of developing gout was 2.5 times higher among men who consumed more than 50g of alcohol daily (equivalent to four or five drinks). Beer was found to confer a greater risk than spirits, while moderate wine consumption did not increase risk. The study is published in The Lancet (2004;363:1277).