Prevalence of Asymptomatic Hyperuricemia and Associated Factors in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Cross-Sectional Study in Southern Vietnam.

Background/

Objectives

Asymptomatic hyperuricemia is a common yet frequently overlooked condition in the management of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), despite its potential association with cardiovascular events. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated factors of asymptomatic hyperuricemia among patients with T2DM.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted on 235 patients with T2DM at a tertiary hospital. Demographic, clinical, laboratory, and medication data were collected. Asymptomatic hyperuricemia was defined as a serum uric acid level ≥ 420 µmol/L in men or ≥360 µmol/L in women, in the absence of clinical symptoms of gout. Hyperuricemia was classified by severity, and logistic regression analysis was used to identify associated factors.

Results

The prevalence of asymptomatic hyperuricemia was 31.1%, including 25.9% with mild hyperuricemia (serum uric acid 420-540 µmol/L in men and 360-540 µmol/L in women) and 5.1% with severe hyperuricemia (serum uric acid > 540 µmol/L). Independent associated factors included body mass index (adjusted OR: 1.18; 95% CI: 1.01-1.36; p = 0.032), alcohol consumption (adjusted OR: 6.05; 95% CI: 1.79-20.41; p = 0.004), and lower estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (adjusted OR: 0.96; 95% CI: 0.93-0.99; p = 0.012). Subgroup analyses based on sex, renal function, and alcohol use demonstrated that these factors remained significant. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for the predictive model was 0.869 (95% CI: 0.818-0.920).

Conclusions

Asymptomatic hyperuricemia is prevalent in patients with T2DM (31.1%) and is associated with modifiable risk factors such as overweight, alcohol consumption, and chronic kidney disease. Our findings suggest that serum uric acid assessment may be useful as part of a comprehensive cardiovascular-renal-metabolic risk evaluation in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, prospective studies are needed to determine whether routine screening improves clinical outcomes.