Coffee drinkers less likely to develop gout
Men who consume large amounts of coffee have a reduced risk of gout,
regardless of whether or not the coffee contains caffeine, a prospective
observational study indicates (Arthritis & Rheumatism 2007;56:2049).
Investigators monitored 45,869 men for 12 years, assessing their intake
of coffee, decaffeinated coffee, tea and total caffeine every four years.
None of the men had a history of gout at baseline, and the researchers
identified 757 confirmed cases of gout.
They found that the risk of developing gout was inversely related to
the amount of coffee consumed (P=0.009 for trend). For men who drank
four to five cups or six or more cups of coffee per day, the relative
risk of gout was 0.60 (95 per cent confidence interval 0.41–0.87)
and 0.41 (CI 0.19–0.88), respectively.
A similar trend was seen for
decaffeinated coffee (P=0.002).
However, tea intake — and total caffeine from all sources — was
not associated with a reduced risk of gout.
The authors say: “The modest inverse association with decaffeinated
coffee suggests that components of coffee other than caffeine may primarily
contribute to the observed inverse association between coffee intake
and the risk of gout. This inference was consistent with the absence
of an association with total caffeine intake and the null association
with tea intake, which is another major source of caffeine.”
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