Sugar-Sweetened Soft Drinks, Fructose Linked with Increased Gout Risk in Men

High consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks and fructose may increase the risk for gout in men, BMJ reports.

More than 46,000 male health professionals aged 40 to 75 completed food-frequency questionnaires at baseline and every 4 years thereafter. During 12 years' follow-up, 1.6% developed gout.

After multivariable adjustment, gout risk rose significantly with increasing consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks. Compared with men who consumed less than one sugary soft drink a month, those consuming five to six drinks a week had a 29% increased risk; one a day, a 45% increase; and two or more daily, an 85% increase. Risk also rose with increasing consumption of other high-fructose products, such as fruit juice, apples, and oranges.

As a potential mechanism underlying the association between fructose and gout risk, the authors note that fructose increases ATP degradation to AMP, thereby increasing production of uric acid.

source: BMJ article (Free)