Positive Association between Hyperuricemia and Metabolic Syndrome: A Large Health Check-up Population in Taiwan

Objectives: A high prevalence of hyperuricemia and metabolic syndrome has been repo巾d in Taiwan The association between hyperuricemia and specific components of metabolic syndrome is seldom studied. Methods: A cross-sectional study with records of 2006 to 2007 health screening check-up in Taoyuan was used. Hyperuricemia was defined as serum uric acid＞7.7mg/dl for males, and＞ 6.6 mg/dl for females. Patients with metabolic syndrome were defined according to the ATP III criteria, except that one condition relating to the circumference of the waist was substituted by BMI≥27kg/m2. Results: A total of 27,774 records (71.4%) was used in this study. The prevalence of hyperuricemia was 15.7% (95% confidence interval (CI)= 15.1 - 16.3%) for males and 12.3% (95%CI=11.8-12.8%) for females, respectively. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 25.4% (95% CI=24.6-26.2%) for males and 24.9% (95%C I=24.2-25.6%) for females, respectively. For both genders, metabolic syndrome and its components were significantly associated with hyperuricemia bivariately and multivariately. The adjusted odds ratio between hyperuricemia and metabolic syndrome was higher in females (2.92, 95% CI=2.64-3.24) than in males (2.04, 95% CI= 1.84- 2.25). Conclusions: A positive association between hyperuricemia and metabolic syndrome and between hyperuricemia and each component of metabolic syndrome was observed in adults with health check-ups in Taiwan. It is concluded that there is an association between hyperuricemia and metabolic syndrome and its components.