Serum urate and its relationship with alcoholic beverage intake in men and women: findings from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) cohort.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate if beer, liquor (spirits), wine and total alcohol intakes have different associations with serum urate (SU) concentrations at different ages in a cohort of young men and women.


METHODS
Data from 3123 participants at baseline and follow-up at 20 years were used, with balanced proportions of Caucasians and African Americans. The relationships of SU with categories of beer, liquor, wine and total alcohol intake referent to no intake were examined in sex-specific, cross-sectional analyses.


RESULTS
Mean age (SD) at the beginning of follow-up was 25.1 (3.6) years. Compared with non-drinkers, significant associations between higher SU concentrations and greater beer intake were observed among men and women, with more pronounced and consistent associations for women. An association between greater liquor intake and higher SU concentrations was only seen for men at the year 20 evaluation. Wine intake was not associated with SU in either sex and total alcohol was associated with higher SU concentrations in both men and women. The magnitude of the associations between alcoholic beverages intake and SU was modest (≤0.03 mg/dl/alcoholic beverage serving).


CONCLUSIONS
An association between higher SU concentrations and greater beer intake was consistent and pronounced among women, but also present in men. Despite the small magnitude of the increases in SU associated with alcohol intake, clinical implications in conditions such as cardiovascular disease and gout in young adults who are moderate and heavy drinkers cannot be ruled out.
Birmingham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA.
Angelo L
AL
Gaffo
Jeffrey M
JM
Roseman
David R
DR
Jacobs
Cora E
CE
Lewis
James M
JM
Shikany
Ted R
TR
Mikuls
Pauline E
PE
Jolly
Kenneth G
KG
Saag
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D000434:Alcoholic Beverages / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001515:Beer / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000209:etiology; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000097:blood*; D014920:Wine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
D014527:Uric Acid