Association Between the Weight-adjusted Waist Index and New-onset Hyperuricemia: A National Prospective Cohort Study...

This study aimed to explore the relationship between the weight-adjusted waist index and new-onset hyperuricemia and examine any possible effect modifiers among the middle-aged and elderly Chinese individuals.

We analyzed data from 6,250 participants in the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. The weight-adjusted waist index was calculated as waist circumference divided by the square root of body weight. The study's primary outcome was the incidence of hyperuricemia, identified by serum uric acid levels of≥417 μmol/L in men and≥357 μmol/L in women during the final assessment.

During a median follow-up of 4 years, 550 participants (8.8%) developed hyperuricemia. A significant positive correlation existed between the weight-adjusted waist index and the risk of hyperuricemia (odds ratio per unit increase: 1.18; 95% confidence interval: 1.08-1.30). The risk was notably higher in the upper tertiles of weight-adjusted waist index distribution compared to the lowest (Tertile 2: odds ratio: 1.32, 95% confidence interval: 1.04-1.68; Tertile 3: odds ratio: 1.87, 95% confidence interval: 1.45-2.42). Additionally, participants with hemoglobin A1c levels of≥5.7% exhibited a stronger link between the weight-adjusted waist index and the hyperuricemia risk (odds ratio per unit increase: 1.48; 95% confidence interval: 1.07-2.04) than those with hemoglobin A1c levels of<5.7% (odds ratio: 1.31; 95% confidence interval: 1.02-1.69; P for interaction= 0.01). The weight-adjusted waist index did not exhibit better predictive ability compared with body mass index and waist circumference in the results of receiver operating characteristic curves.

Our findings suggest that higher weight-adjusted waist index values are independently associated with an increased risk of hyperuricemia, with a particularly strong association in those with elevated hemoglobin A1c levels. However, its predictive capability was not superior to conventional anthropometric indices.