Association between serum uric acid level and cataract Arisk: A cross-sectional study based on two databases (CHARLS...

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Epidemiology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Cataracts are a leading cause of global blindness, impacting public health significantly.
• Aqueous humor uric acid's role in cataract pathogenesis is known, but its invasive measurement limits clinical use.
• The association between serum uric acid and cataract risk requires clarification due to limited data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between serum uric acid levels and cataract risk.
• To analyze this association in two independent, large population cohorts.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional analysis of 11,473 participants from China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) and 9,754 from NHANES.
• Cataract status determined by self-reported cataract surgery history.
• Multivariable logistic regression, restricted cubic splines, and subgroup analyses were used.

Main Results:

• Crude analyses showed a significant association between higher serum uric acid and cataract prevalence in both cohorts.
• After adjusting for covariates, these associations were no longer statistically significant.
• No significant linear or nonlinear dose-response relationship was found, with null associations across subgroups.

Conclusions:

• The apparent link between serum uric acid and cataracts is likely due to confounding factors (age, cardiometabolic diseases, socioeconomic status).
• Serum uric acid may not be an independent risk marker for self-reported cataract surgery.
• Serum uric acid has limited utility for population-based cataract risk assessment.