Sugar-sweetened soft drinks consumption and risk of hyperuricemia: Results of the ELSA-Brasil study

Abstract Background and aims The prospective association between sugar-sweetened beverages consumption and hyperuricemia is controversial. The aim was to investigate the association of the consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks and unsweetened fruit juices with the incidence of hyperuricemia and levels of serum uric acid in participants of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil). Methods and Results Longitudinal analysis in ELSA-Brasil participants (baseline 2008–2010 and follow-up 2012–2014). The sample consisted of 10,072 civil servants (35 to 74 years, both sexes). The consumption of beverages estimated by a food frequency questionnaire (baseline) was divided into five categories: non-consumption and quartiles (≥0.1 mL/day). Hyperuricemia was defined as uric acid ≥ 7.0 mg/dL (men) and ≥ 5.7 mg/dL (women). Poisson regression with robust variance and multiple linear regression were tested. The average consumption of soft drinks was 84 ± 191 mL/day in men and 42 ± 128 mL/day in women. After 4 years follow-up, the higher consumption of soft drinks (men: 401 ± 303 mL/day; women: 390 ± 290 mL/day) increased the relative risk of hyperuricemia by 30% (men) and 40% (women), and was associated with increased mean uric acid (men: β = 0.14 mg/dL; 95% CI 0.41-0.24; women: β = 0.11 mg/dL; 95% CI 0.00-0.21). The consumption of unsweetened juice was not associated with hyperuricemia. Conclusion Higher sugar-sweetened soft drinks consumption is associated with an increased relative risk of hyperuricemia and elevated serum uric acid levels in Brazilian adults.