Study says beer raises gout risk.

Different alcohol drinks have different effects on blood levels of uric acid, and this can determine the likelihood of gout, a new study says. In the journal Arthritis and Rheumatism, Harvard researchers said that "beer confers a larger increase than liquor, whereas moderate wine drinking does not increase serum uric acid levels."

Gout is caused by the deposition of uric acid crystals in the joints.

The researchers compared consumption of beer, liquor, and wine in relation to blood levels of uric acid in a sample of 14,809 participants at least 20 years of age enrolled in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

According to the study, uric acid levels were greatest for high beer consumers, followed by those with the highest intake of liquor, the team reports. No association was found between wine intake and uric acid levels. The study said this pattern held true for men and women, and for all categories of body weight.

The study was contained in Arthritis and Rheumatism, December 15, 2004.