[Epidemiological study on hyperuricemia and gout in Foshan areas, Guangdong province]

To determine the prevalence rates and risk factors of hyperuricemia (HUA) and gout among residents aged over 20 years in Foshan areas.

A randomly stratified cluster sampling was conducted, and 7403 inhabitants were investigated on their prevalence rates of HUA and gout.

(1) The prevalence of HUA was 15.09%, and the standardized rate was 15.27%, in which the prevalence in males was 19.90% and females was 10.54%. The prevalence of gout was 1.04% and the standardized rate was 1.08%, in which the prevalence in males was 1.73% and females was 0.39%. The prevalence of gout in patients with HUA was 6.89%. (2) Average serum uric acid was (336.4 ± 81.5) µmol/L, with (347.1 ± 88.6) µmol/L in males and (289.7 ± 78.6) µmol/L in females. The serum uric acid levels in male patients with HUA was higher than those in women. (3) Age, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, serum uric acid, blood sugar, triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol were significantly higher in patients with HUA and gout than in the normal group (P < 0.05 - 0.01). The incidence rates of patients with hyperuricemia and gout in the following indices as:overweight and obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar were significantly higher than those in the normal group (P < 0.05). Patients having gout in the following indices as age, TG, serum uric acid levels were significantly higher than the HUA group (P < 0.05). (4) Data from non-conditional logistic regression analysis showed that age, overweight, hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, use of diuretics, family history, alcohol uptake, eating seafood and drinking meat broth, post-menopausal women, and other factors were similar to those factors as patients with hyperuricemia. Tea, fresh vegetables, fruits seemed to be the protective factors.

Both the prevalence rates of HUA and gout had significantly increased in Foshan areas in recent years. Restricting the intake of food with rich purine, alcohol intake as well as controlling obesity and blood pressure, improving the status of lipid metabolic disorder together with programs as hypertension control etc. were important measures in the strategies on prevention and treatment on hyperuricemia and gout.