Hyperuricaemia: prevalence and association with mortality in an elderly Finnish population

OBJECTIVE: To establish the prevalence of hyperuricaemia in an elderly Finnish cohort and to assess its association with comorbidities and mortality. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Good Ageing in Lahti Region study, Finland 2002–2012 (mortality data analysed until 2018). PARTICIPANTS: 2673 participants (mean age 64 years; 47% men). PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Prevalence of hyperuricaemia in the study population was detected. Associations between hyperuricaemia and mortality were assessed using multivariable adjusted Cox proportional hazards models. METHODS: Data from a prospective, population-based study of elderly people (52–76 years) in the Lahti region, Finland, were used. Information on serum uric acid (SUA) levels as well as several other laboratory variables, comorbidities, lifestyle habits and socioeconomic factors was collected, and the association between SUA level and mortality in a 15-year follow-up period was analysed. RESULTS: Of 2673 elderly Finnish persons included in the study 1197 (48%) were hyperuricaemic. Hyperuricaemia was extremely prevalent in men (60%). There was an association between elevated SUA and mortality which remained after adjustment for potential confounding factors (age, gender, education, smoking status, body mass index, hypertension and dyslipidaemia). The adjusted HR for all-cause mortality among clearly hyperuricaemic individuals with SUA≥420 µmol/L compared with normouricaemic individuals (SUA<360 µmol/L) was 1.32 (95% CI 1.05 to 1.60) in women and 1.29 (95% CI 1.05 to 1.60) in men. In slightly hyperuricaemic individuals (SUA 360–420 µmol/L) the corresponding HRs were 1.03 (95% CI 0.78 to 1.35) and 1.11 (95% CI 0.89 to 1.39). CONCLUSIONS: Hyperuricaemia is very prevalent in the elderly Finnish population and is independently associated with increased mortality.