[A cross-sectional study of hyperuricemia in state-employees in Beijing: prevalence and risk factors]

To investigate prevalence of hyperuricemia and its risk factors in Beijing.

A cross-sectional study was carried out in four groups of state-employees in Beijing, China. Demographic, dietary and clinical data were collected by questionnaires, physical examination, and biochemical assay. Data were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression models.

1217 men and 780 women participated in the study. HDL and LDL were excluded as they were not missing completely at random in missing variable analysis. The serum uric acid level was (331 +/- 74) micromol/L (mean +/- SD) for men and (254 +/- 61) micromol/L (mean +/- SD) for women. It was stable for both sexes before the age of 50, increased in women but tended to decrease in man thereafter. 13.8% of men and 6.0% of women had hyperuricemia, which was defined as serum uric acid >or= 416.4 micromol/L in men and >or= 356.9 micromol/L in women, or taking medication for it. The prevalence of hyperuricemia increased steadily as women aged and surpassed that of men after the age of 70, while it appeared to decrease after 60 in men. Multivariate logistic regression models found that male gender (OR 2.46, 95% CI 1.63 - 3.69), non-Han Chinese ethnicity (OR 2.47, 95% CI 1.02 - 5.98 for Chinese Muslim), renal dysfunction (OR 12.88, 95% CI 4.07 - 40.79 for GFR < 30 ml/min), and diuretics (OR 2.25, 95% CI 1.42 - 3.57) were associated with increased risk of hyperuricemia, whereas retirement (OR 0.21, 95% CI 0.12 - 0.38) was associated with substantially reduced risk of hyperuricemia, after adjusted for overweight/obesity, hypertension and hypertriglyceridemia. Age, menopause, low-dose aspirin were not found to be associated with hyperuricemia independently. Although retirement was associated with less consumption of meat, fat, alcohol (beer, hard liquor, and wine), and more physical exercises, neither of these factors were found to be associated with hyperuricemia independently.

Male gender, non-Han Chinese ethnicity (Muslim), renal dysfunction, diuretics, overweight/obesity, hypertension and hypertriglyceridemia are associated with increased risk of hyperuricemia. Retirement is associated with reduced risk of hyperuricemia.