Association between serum uric acid and spirometric pulmonary function in Korean adults: The 2016 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

BACKGROUND: A limited number of epidemiological studies have investigated the association between serum uric acid and pulmonary function in the general population. However, the results have been inconclusive. OBJECTIVES: This study was performed to investigate the association between serum uric acid and spirometric pulmonary function in general population. METHODS: Among the 8,150 participants who participated in the 2016 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2,901 participants were analyzed in this study. Subjects were divided into four groups according to forced vital capacity (FVC)% predicted or forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) % predicted quartiles. Participants in the lowest quartile of FVC % predicted and FEV1% predicted were compared to those in the remaining quartiles according to age, education level, household income, smoking status, alcohol consumption, aerobic exercise, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, renal impairment, serum uric acid, and hyperuricemia. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to calculate the odds ratio (OR) of hyperuricemia for participants in the lowest quartile of FVC% and FEV1 predicted, with above covariates. RESULTS: In women, hyperuricemia was associated with lowest quartile of FVC% predicted (OR 1.71, 95% CI 1.06–2.75, p = 0.027) and FEV1 predicted (OR 1.70, 95% CI 1.06–2.74, p = 0.028) respectively, serving as above confounding variables. In men, hyperuricemia (OR 1.54, 95% CI 1.07–2.22, p = 0.021) was associated with the lowest quartile of FEV1% predicted, not FVC% predicted. According to median age, in women, age ≥ 56 years old with hyperuricemia was associated with lowest quartile of FVC% predicted (OR 1.85, 95% CI 1.04–3.28, p = 0.037) and FEV1% predicted (OR 1.99, 95% CI 1.11–3.75, p = 0.021), respectively. In men, age ≥ 56 years old with hyperuricemia was associated with lowest quartile of FEV1% predicted (OR 1.75, 95% CI 1.05–2.94, p = 0.033), not FCV% predicted. CONCLUSIONS: Hyperuricemia was associated with lowest quartile of FEV1% or FVC% predicted in Korean general population. This correlation between hyperuricemia and low pulmonary function was more pronounced in women and older age.