Effects of coffee consumption on serum uric acid: systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Study results on the effects of coffee consumption on serum uric acid (UA) have been conflicting. The aim of this study is to analyze the literature regarding the effect of coffee consumption on serum UA. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane library, and KoreaMed for all articles published before January 2015. Studies with quantitative data on coffee consumption and serum UA level were included. Coffee consumption and serum UA level were identified with/without the risk of gout. RESULTS: Nine studies published between 1999 and 2014 were included, containing a total of 175,310 subjects. Meta-analysis demonstrated that coffee has a significantly lowering effect on serum UA, where there are gender differences in the amount of coffee required to lower serum UA. Women (4-6 cups/day) need more coffee to lower serum UA than men (1-3 cups/day). Meta-analysis showed that coffee intake of 1 cup/day or more was significantly associated with reduction of the risk of gout, with a negative correlation with the amount of daily coffee intake for both genders. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first systematic review on the effects of coffee consumption on serum UA. Based on our study, moderate coffee intake might be advocated for primary prevention of hyperuricemia and gout in both genders.