Consumption of sugar sweetened beverages increases risk of gout flares

Written By : Medha Baranwal |Medically Reviewed By : Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli Published On 2020-09-01T11:58:50+05:30 | Updated On 1 Sept 2020 12:52 PM IST

Tehran, Iran: The consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) increases serum uric acid concentrations associated with gout flares, according to a recent study in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics.

The study was conducted due to the conflicting evidence on the association between SSB intake and serum uric acid concentrations. Other studies have shown that poor diet and obesity to be associated with exacerbation of pre-existing conditions that can lead to gout flares.

In the systematic review and meta-analysis, S. Ebrahimpour‐koujan, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, and colleagues aimed to summarise earlier findings on the association between SSB consumption and serum uric acid concentrations in adults. Cross-sectional studies have shown that increased consumption of SSBs and fructose to be associated with increased serum uric acid levels.

The review was narrowed down to five cross-sectional studies published between 2007 and 2013. The number of participants ranged from 483 to 14 761 people and most controlled for age, body mass index, weight, and sex.

The mechanisms by which consumption of fructose-sweetened beverages may lead to increased hyperuricemia is not clear. Researchers suspect that fructose can produce uric acid by increasing the degradation of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) hydrolysis, which is involved in the production of uric acid.

Key findings of the study include:

Individuals in the highest category of SSB intake had 0.18 mg dL^–1 greater concentrations of serum uric acid compared to those in the lowest category (summary effect size: 0.18 mg dL^–1).
No significant between‐study heterogeneity was found.
In the sensitivity analysis, the researchers found no particular study influence on the summary effect.

"We found that SSB consumption was significantly associated with increased serum uric acid concentrations in an adult population. However, this needs to be confirmed in follow-up studies," concluded the authors.

The study, "Consumption of sugar‐sweetened beverages and serum uric acid concentrations: a systematic review and meta‐analysis," is published in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jhn.12796

Source : Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics

Medha Baranwal

MSc. Biotechnology

Medha Baranwal joined Medical Dialogues as an Editor in 2018 for Speciality Medical Dialogues. She covers several medical specialties including Cardiac Sciences, Dentistry, Diabetes and Endo, Diagnostics, ENT, Gastroenterology, Neurosciences, and Radiology. She has completed her Bachelors in Biomedical Sciences from DU and then pursued Masters in Biotechnology from Amity University. She has a working experience of 5 years in the field of medical research writing, scientific writing, content writing, and content management. She can be contacted at editorial@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751

Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli

Dr Kamal Kant Kohli-MBBS, DTCD- a chest specialist with more than 30 years of practice and a flair for writing clinical articles, Dr Kamal Kant Kohli joined Medical Dialogues as a Chief Editor of Medical News. Besides writing articles, as an editor, he proofreads and verifies all the medical content published on Medical Dialogues including those coming from journals, studies,medical conferences,guidelines etc. Email: drkohli@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751