The bidirectional relationship between metabolic syndrome and hyperuricemia in China: A longitudinal study from CHARLS

Objective It has been reported that metabolic syndrome (MetS) has been associated with hyperuricemia. However, current findings have been inconclusive regarding the direction of this association. The objective of this study was to clarify the possible directional relationship between hyperuricemia and MetS. Design This study used two waves of data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) in 2011 and 2015 (N = 6,253, aged >= 40 years). Logistic regression and cross-lagged panel design were performed to evaluate the bidirectional association between uric acid with MetS. MetS score is defined as the number of MetS components present. Results New-onset hyperuricemia and MetS were observed in a four-year follow-up study among 719 and 625 participants, respectively. A positive association was observed in the adjusted logistical regression model between baseline MetS score and new-onset hyperuricemia (P for trend <0.001), and also between baseline serum uric acid (SUA) and new-onset MetS (P for trend <0.001). Cross-lagged panel analysis indicated MetS score positively and prospectively predicted SUA, but not vice versa. After stratification by sex, we observed a strong, bidirectional relationship between MetS score and SUA indicating that diagnosis in one illness increased the risk of the other, both men and women. Moreover, this study also found that systolic blood pressure (P < 0.001) and triglycerides (P < 0.001) had a bidirectional relationship with SUA. Conclusions The results of this study indicated a bidirectional relationship between MetS and hyperuricemia.

Automated summary

This study analyzed data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study and found a bidirectional relationship between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and hyperuricemia, indicating that the diagnosis of one illness increases the risk of the other. This relationship was observed in both men and women. Additionally, systolic blood pressure and triglycerides were also found to have a bidirectional relationship with hyperuricemia.