LONDON, April 15 (UPI) -- The first large scientific study proving the long-held belief that alcohol consumption increases the risk of gout was published Thursday in The Lancet.
A prospective study of nearly 50,000 men showed that beer drinking was more likely to be associated with gout than spirits. Wine consumption, on the other hand, was not linked to a risk of the painful disease.
Alcohol consumption causes increased production of uric acid (hyperuricaemia) which when deposited in joints leads to gout. The association between alcohol consumption and risk of gout has been suspected since ancient times, but has not been prospectively confirmed.
Hyon K Choi from Massachusetts General Hospital and his colleagues assessed alcohol consumption and incidence of gout among 47,000 male medical staff over a 12-year period. Some 730 cases of gout were confirmed throughout the study period.
