Associations between dietary factors and serum uric acid levels in Korean women aged 19-65 years.

BACKGROUND/

OBJECTIVES

Hyperuricemia is associated with an increased risk of chronic diseases such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and chronic kidney disease. This study investigated the dietary factors associated with the serum uric acid (SUA) levels in Korean women.

SUBJECTS/

METHODS

This study analyzed the data from the 2016-2017 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, including 4,201 women aged 19-64 yrs. The dietary intake was assessed using a single 24-h dietary recall, and the SUA levels were categorized into quartiles. Multivariate linear regression analyses were conducted to examine the associations between the nutrient and food group intake and the SUA levels after adjusting for potential confounders.

RESULTS

Higher intakes of saturated fatty acids (SFA) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) were significantly associated with elevated SUA levels, whereas carbohydrate intake had a significant inverse association with the SUA levels. Dietary fiber intake was lower in the highest SUA quartile than in the lowest quartile, but dietary fiber was not independently associated with the SUA levels after a full adjustment. At the food group level, higher intakes of meat and high-purine seafood were positively associated with the SUA levels, whereas the grain intake showed an inverse association.

CONCLUSION

Higher SUA levels may be associated with dietary patterns characterized by an increased intake of fats, particularly SFA and MUFA derived from animal-based foods, rather than the isolated effects of individual fatty acids. Carbohydrate- and grain-based dietary components may play a protective role in uric acid metabolism. Considering the link between elevated SUA and the chronic disease risk, dietary management focusing on overall dietary patterns rather than single nutrients may be an important preventive approach. Further prospective cohort studies will be needed to confirm the causal relationships between diet and the SUA levels in the general Korean population.