Aging, not menopause, is associated with higher prevalence of hyperuricemia among older women.
OBJECTIVE
This work aims to study the associations, if any, of hyperuricemia, gout, and menopause status in the US population.


METHODS
Using multiyear data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, we performed unmatched comparisons and one to three age-matched comparisons of women aged 20 to 70 years with and without hyperuricemia (serum urate ≥6 mg/dL). Analyses were performed using survey-weighted multiple logistic regression and conditional logistic regression, respectively.


RESULTS
Overall, there were 1,477 women with hyperuricemia. Age and serum urate were significantly correlated. In unmatched analyses (n = 9,573 controls), postmenopausal women were older, were heavier, and had higher prevalence of renal impairment, hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia. In multivariable regression, after accounting for age, body mass index, glomerular filtration rate, and diuretic use, menopause was associated with hyperuricemia (odds ratio, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.05-1.76; P = 0.002). In corresponding multivariable regression using age-matched data (n = 4,431 controls), the odds ratio for menopause was 0.94 (95% CI, 0.83-1.06). Current use of hormone therapy was not associated with prevalent hyperuricemia in both unmatched and matched analyses.


CONCLUSIONS
Age is a better statistical explanation for the higher prevalence of hyperuricemia among older women than menopause status.
From the 1Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA; and 2Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA.
Eswar
E
Krishnan
Mihoko
M
Bennett
Linjun
L
Chen
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004232:Diuretics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate; D006073:Gout / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D033461:Hyperuricemia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D012044:Regression Analysis; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000097:blood
D004232:Diuretics; D014527:Uric Acid