Leukocyte telomere length independently predicts hyperuricemia risk in a longitudinal study of the Chinese population

• Published in: Nutrition, metabolism, and cardiovascular diseases Vol. 34; no. 1; pp. 230 - 234
• Main Authors: Qi, Mengya, Yu, Jie, Ping, Fan, Xu, Lingling, Li, Wei, Zhang, Huabing, Li, Yuxiu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.01.2024
• Subjects: Humans; Hyperuricemia - diagnosis; Hyperuricemia - epidemiology; Hyperuricemia - genetics; Leukocytes; Longitudinal Studies; Prospective Studies; Telomere - genetics; Uric Acid
• ISSN: 0939-4753; 1590-3729
• DOI: 10.1016/j.numecd.2023.10.004

Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) has been correlated with uric acid levels, although results are inconsistent, and prospective studies are lacking. In this longitudinal, prospective cohort study, we aimed to assess whether a shorter LTL predicts the risk of hyperuricemia. We conducted a longitudinal study in a Chinese cohort of 599 participants. Of these, 266 participants completed a 5.9-year follow-up from June 2014 to December 2021. LTL was assessed at baseline using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Hyperuricemia was defined as serum uric acid ≥420 mmol/L according to Chinese guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of hyperuricemia and gout. Participants who had developed hyperuricemia during follow-up (n = 17) had shorter LTL at baseline. Baseline LTL was independently associated with the development of hyperuricemia at follow-up after adjusting for conventional hyperuricemia risk factors (odds ratio [OR] 2.347 [95% confidence interval [CI] 1.123, 4.906]; P = 0.023). After grouping according to LTL tertiles, the incidence of hyperuricemia was 18.334-fold higher for the first than for the third tertile (OR 18.334 [95%CI 1.786, 191.272]; P = 0.014, P for trend = 0.050). Our findings in a prospective cohort suggest that LTL could predict hyperuricemia risk, which might inform the timely prevention and treatment of hyperuricemia. •There is a lack of prospective study between the association with leukocytes telomere length (LTL) and hyperuricemia.•This is the first prospective study to explore the association between baseline leukocytes telomere length (LTL) and the risk of hyperuricemia.•Our study suggests that baseline leukocytes telomere length (LTL) was inversely associated with the risk of hyperuricemia.•Our findings might inform timely prevention and treatment of hyperuricemia.