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)

High Caffeine Intake During Pregnancy Increases Risk for Miscarriage

High caffeine consumption early in pregnancy increases risk for miscarriage, according to a study in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

Roughly 1000 women in the San Francisco area completed interviews at a median 71 days' gestation about the type and amount of caffeine they consumed. After adjusting for potential demographic and lifestyle confounders, as well as nausea and vomiting, researchers found that women who consumed 200 mg of caffeine or more (e.g., 10 oz. or more of coffee or five 12-oz. cans of caffeinated soft drinks) daily had more than double the risk for miscarriage by 20 weeks' gestation (hazard ratio, 2.23).

The authors conclude that "it may be prudent to stop or reduce caffeine intake during pregnancy."

source:

American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology early-release page