Temporal trends in hyperuricaemia among adults in Wuhan city, China, from 2010 to 2019: a cross-sectional study

BMJ Open. 2021 Mar 31;11(3):e043917. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-043917.

Abstract

Objectives: Hyperuricaemia is a risk factor for gout attacks, kidney damage and cardiovascular events. Evidence on the trends in hyperuricaemia burden in Wuhan city, China, was limited. The present study aimed to estimate the prevalence of and a decade trend in hyperuricaemia in Wuhan city.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Health Management Center of Tongji Hospital.

Participants: A total of 732 527 adult participants from the general population who took a physical examination in the Health Management Center between 2010 and 2019.

Main outcome measures: Prevalence of and trends in hyperuricaemia.

Results: The overall prevalence of hyperuricaemia was 25.8% (36.6% in men and 10.8% in women) in 2019. The hyperuricaemia prevalence and serum uric acid (SUA) levels were significantly higher in young men, old women and participants with obesity, hypertension, diabetes or dyslipidaemia (p<0.05). SUA levels among men and women gradually increased from 358.0 (313.0-407.0) umol/L and 250.0 (217.0-288.0) umol/L in 2010 to 388.0 (338.0-445.2) umol/L and 270.0 (233.0-314.0) umol/L in 2019, respectively, p<0.05. From 2010 through 2019, hyperuricaemia prevalence significantly increased in each age category and it increased most sharply among participants aged 20-39 years. The multivariate-adjusted prevalence among men was 26.1% (25.4% to 26.7%) in 2010, 30.9% (30.4% to 31.4%) in 2015 and 34.4% (34.1% to 34.8%) in 2019, while among women it was 5.8% (5.4% to 6.2%) in 2010, 7.2% (6.9% to 7.5%) in 2015 and 10.1% (9.9% to 10.3%) in 2019.

Conclusions: Hyperuricaemia was highly prevalent among adults in Wuhan city. More attention should be paid to the increasing burden of hyperuricaemia, especially for those at higher risks.

Keywords: epidemiology; nephrology; rheumatology.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • China / epidemiology
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Female
  • Gout*
  • Humans
  • Hyperuricemia* / epidemiology
  • Male
  • Risk Factors
  • Uric Acid
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Uric Acid