Coffee Consumption and Gout Risk

Choi HK, Willett W, Curhan G • Arthritis Rheum

Key Finding

Coffee consumption significantly reduces gout risk in a dose-dependent manner

Original title: “Coffee consumption and risk of incident gout in men”

Plain English Summary

Prospective study of 45,869 men showing coffee consumption is inversely associated with gout risk. Effect was dose-dependent and similar for regular and decaf coffee.

In-Depth Analysis

Background

Dr. Hyon K. Choi and colleagues from Boston University and Harvard School of Public Health published this prospective study in Arthritis & Rheumatism (PMID: 17530645, DOI: 10.1002/art.22712), following their earlier dietary studies on gout risk.

Study Design

Population: 45,869 men from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study with no history of gout at baseline.

Follow-up: 12 years

Outcome: 757 incident gout cases

Exposures: Coffee (regular and decaffeinated), tea, and total caffeine intake assessed via validated food frequency questionnaires.

Key Findings

Coffee Intake	Multivariate RR (95% CI)
<1 cup/day	1.00 (reference)
1-3 cups/day	0.92 (0.75-1.14)
4-5 cups/day	0.60 (0.41-0.87)
≥6 cups/day	0.41 (0.19-0.88)

•Decaffeinated coffee also inversely associated (RR 0.73 for ≥4 cups)
•Tea showed no association
•Total caffeine alone showed no association

Mechanistic Insights

The protective effect of decaf coffee suggests non-caffeine components are responsible. Chlorogenic acid and other polyphenols may:

•Inhibit xanthine oxidase (uric acid production)
•Improve insulin sensitivity
•Reduce inflammatory markers

Clinical Implications

Coffee consumption can be encouraged in patients at risk for gout. The dose-response relationship is strong—higher consumption provides greater protection.

Metabolic Health Perspective

Coffee's benefits extend beyond gout: improved insulin sensitivity, lower type 2 diabetes risk, and hepatoprotection. The anti-inflammatory and metabolic benefits align with broader metabolic optimization.