Jun 03 2008
Coffee: Good for Gout?
A study done at the Arthritis Research Centre of Canada in Vancouver studied 45,869 men, without gout, over a 12 year period. Every four years, 2 questionnaires were sent out to the participants. The first questionnaire asked about intake of coffee, decaffeinated coffee, tea and total caffeine. The second questionnaire was used to evaluate whether participants met the criteria for gout, as defined by the American College of Rheumatology.
The amount of coffee consumed was measured in cups/day and ranged from 0 cups, <1, 1-3, 4-5 and 6 cups or more per day. Researchers found that there was an inverse relationship between the amount of coffee consumed and the incidence of gout. This was also true for consumption of decaffeinated coffee, but to a lesser degree. This means, that as the number of cups of coffee consumed per day increased, the incidence of gout decreased. Individuals who drank 1-3 cups per day only had a small decrease in their risk of developing gout. Individuals who drank four or more cups of coffee per day had the least risk of developing gout. Total caffeine intake from all sources, including the tea, did not have any association with the risk of developing gout.
The conclusion is that long-term coffee consumption is associated with a lower risk of developing gout. But, this in no way suggests that those individuals who do not drink coffee should start drinking coffee. It is also does not suggest that those who drink 0-3 cups of coffee per day should start drinking more coffee. What this study suggests is that coffee may be an acceptable drink for those at risk of developing gout.
Choi HK, Willett W, Curhan G. Coffee consumption and risk of incident gout in men: a prospective study. Arthritis Rheum. 2007 Jun;56(6):2049-55.