AJM onlineClinical research studyAlcohol Consumption as a Trigger of Recurrent Gout Attacks
Section snippets
Methods
We constructed a website for this study (https://dcc2.bumc.bu.edu/GOUT) on an independent secure server within the Boston University Medical Center domain. The study website provided information about the study, invited applicants to participate, administered a screening questionnaire, linked eligible respondents to an online consent form, and administered additional questionnaires to assess risk factors and features of respondents’ recurrent gout attacks.
The study was advertised on the Google
Statistical analysis
Total alcohol consumption (grams) for each day and over the 2-day period was calculated by multiplying the average alcohol content in beer, wine, and spirits times the number of drinks consumed over the specified period. The total alcohol intake per day (in grams) was estimated as ([0.57 × the number of cocktails per day] + [0.44 × the number of bottle or cans of beers per day] + [0.40 × the number of glasses of wine per day]) × 28.35. This latter term represents 28.35 g of alcohol per fluid
Results
Of 197 subjects who completed both Hazard-period and Control-period Questionnaires, 179 subjects (91%) fulfilled the ACR Criteria for gout.27 Gout diagnosis was confirmed by the presence of the crystal in only 37 subjects (19%). A total of 186 subjects (94.4%) returned a signed Medical Record Release Form. Of those, we obtained 172 subjects’ medical records or physician’s checklists from their physicians, and 164 (95.3%) met ACR Criteria for gout.27
The characteristics of the participants are
Discussion
Although alcohol has long been considered a risk factor triggering recurrent gout attacks, to our knowledge, this is the first study that has formally tested this hypothesis. Our results suggest that alcohol intake, irrespective of the type of beverage consumed, was associated with an increased risk of recurrent gout attacks. The effect-period of alcohol was short, likely to occur within the first 24 hours after alcohol consumption.
Although many studies have found that alcohol consumption
Conclusion
The present study found that alcohol intake, even a light-to-moderate amount, triggers recurrent gout attacks. We suggest that subjects with established gout avoid drinking alcohol to lower their risk of recurrent gout attacks.
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Supported by an Arthritis Foundation Clinical Science Grant, a grant from the Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, National Institutes of Health AR47785, and by TAP Pharmaceutical Co.