Hyperuricemia is Related to the Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases in Ethnic Chinese Elderly Women

BACKGROUND: The association between hyperuricemia (HUA) and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) is not fully elucidated. OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationship according to factors of sex and age in the Chinese ethnic groups. METHODS: We performed a population–based cross-sectional study in a multi-ethnic population from southwestern China. HUA patients were identified by serum uric acid ≥7 mg/dL in men and 6 mg/dL in women. The outcome was composite prevalent CVDs, including coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, and arrhythmia. Multivariate logistic regression analysis, estimating odds ratio (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), were applied to evaluate the HUA–CVDs relationship. RESULTS: We included 16,618 people (37.48% Dong, 30.00% Miao, and 32.52% Bouyei) aged 30–79 years without a reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73 m(2). CVDs developed in 250 Dong, 196 Miao, and 205 Bouyei adults. Among women, HUA was positively associated with the risk of stroke in Dong ethnicity and CVDs in Bouyei ethnicity (ORs (95% CIs) 2.02 (1.07–3.81) and 1.66 (1.06–2.59)) compared with non-HUA. In the age-specific analysis, HUA was related to the risk of CVDs (OR 2.32, 95% CI 1.00–5.38) and CHD (5.37, 1.61–17.89) among Miao people aged < median age, CVDs (1.52, 1.11–2.08) and stroke (1.67, 1.02–2.72) among Dong adults aged ≥ median age, and CVDs (1.67, 1.16–2.40) and CHD (1.77, 1.13–2.77) among Bouyei ethnicity aged ≥ median age. After stratification by sex and the median age, for women aged > 50 years, a 55% (1.55, 1.00–2.39) and 65% (1.65, 1.02–2.66) increased risk for CVDs was observed in Dong and Bouyei ethnicities. CONCLUSIONS: HUA may be related to an increased risk of CVDs among women in the Dong and Bouyei ethnic groups in China, especially women aged > 50 years.