title: Cherry consumption and decreased risk of recurrent gout attacks.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the relationship between cherry intake and the risk of recurrent gout attacks among individuals with gout.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a case-crossover study to examine the associations of a set of putative risk factors with recurrent gout attacks. Individuals with gout were prospectively recruited and followed up online for 1 year. Participants were asked to provide the following information regarding gout attacks: the onset date of the gout attack, symptoms and signs, medications (including antigout medications), and exposure to potential risk factors (including daily intake of cherries and cherry extract) during the 2-day period prior to the gout attack. We assessed the same exposure information over 2-day control periods. We estimated the risk of recurrent gout attacks related to cherry intake using conditional logistic regression. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our study included 633 individuals with gout. Cherry intake over a 2-day period was associated with a 35% lower risk of gout attacks compared with no intake (multivariate OR 0.65 [95% CI 0.50-0.85]). Cherry extract intake showed a similar inverse association (multivariate OR 0.55 [95% CI 0.30-0.98]). The effect of cherry intake persisted across subgroups stratified by sex, obesity status, purine intake, alcohol use, diuretic use, and use of antigout medications. When cherry intake was combined with allopurinol use, the risk of gout attacks was 75% lower than during periods without either exposure (OR 0.25 [95% CI 0.15-0.42]).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that cherry intake is associated with a lower risk of gout attacks.
authors.affiliation: Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA. yuqing@bu.edu
authors.forename: Yuqing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Tuhina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Neogi
authors.forename: Clara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chaisson
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Hunter
authors.forename: Hyon K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Choi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004435:Eating; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006073:Gout / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006074:Gout Suppressants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D027861:Prunus; D012008:Recurrence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D006074:Gout Suppressants