PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania—Encouraging gouty arthritis patients to drink more water and/or skim milk may lead to better management of the condition, according to 2 new studies presented at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.^1,2

In one study, the more water a participant consumed the less likely they were to experience recurrent gout attacks, even when accounting for other fluid intake.

“I can’t say we have a specific recommendation for how much water or how often, but adequate hydration with water is important to prevent recurrent gout attacks,” says lead researcher Thuhina Neogi, MD, PhD, a rheumatologist and epidemiologist at Boston University Medical Center in Boston, MA. “It’s not just about total fluid intake—it’s water.”

In the study, participants with gout who had an attack within the past year provided access to medical records pertaining to their gout diagnosis. Researchers collected data on the amount of water consumed over the 24-hour period before a gout attack and over the 24-hour period during an intercritical period. Overall, increasing water intake was associated with decreased risk for recurrent gout attacks.

Skim milk lowers urate in healthy men

In the skim milk study, 16 healthy male volunteers were asked to consume a single serving of soy milk and 3 different types of skim milk. Researchers collected samples of serum and urine immediately before each participant drank 1 of the milks and then hourly over a 3-hour period.

All the skim milks cut serum uric acid by approximately 10%, the study showed. By contrast, the soy milk increased serum uric acid by 10%. Late season skim milk, which is primarily available from countries where milking is seasonal and cows are grass-fed such as New Zealand and Australia, led to a greater increase in the uric acid removal than the other 2 types of skim milk. Such skin milk contains higher levels of urotic acid.

“This study has shown that skim milk can significantly reduce the serum uric acid concentration in the short term,” explained lead researcher Nicola Dalbeth, MD, a senior lecturer in clinical medicine at the University of Auckland in Auckland, New Zealand, in a press release. “The results suggest that increasing the amount of skim milk in the diet may help with preventing the development of gout, and also assist with treatment for those with the disease.”

Translating research into practice: encourage patients to hydrate with water

But Dr. Neogi cautions that “the applicability of the skim milk study to patients with gouty arthritis is unknown as it was conducted in health volunteers,” she tells MSKreport.com. “We can say that water and skim milk don’t have an adverse effect and gout patients don’t need fat in their milk even if its 1% or 2%,” she says.

Moreover, “sugar sweetened beverages should not be a staple of how you hydrate—focus on water instead,” she stresses.

References

1. Neogi T. Drinking Water Can Reduce the Risk of Recurrent Gout. Presented at: American College of Rheumatology Meeting; October 17-21, 2009; Philadelphia, Penn. Presentation No. 2038.
2. Dalbeth N, Wong S, Gamble G, et al. The Acute Effect of Skim Milk On Serum Urate Concentrations: A Randomized Controlled Cross-Over Trial. Presented at: American College of Rheumatology Meeting; October 17-21, 2009; Philadelphia, Penn. Presentation No. 1947.