Hyperuricemia in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The objective of this prospective study was to determine the prevalence of hyperuricemia and gout in a sample of Saudi individuals and their relationship to certain risk factors, namely, obesity, serum glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, age, and sex. A total of 487 Saudis (250 males and 237 females) from 14 primary care clinics were interviewed, examined, and investigated. The mean age for the males was 46.89 +/- 17.01 years (range 14-83) and for the females 45.08 +/- 13.67 years (range 21-80). Serum uric acid (SUA) values above 420 micromol/l for males and 360 micromol/l for females were considered to be high. Of the 487 individuals, 41 (8.42%; 20 males and 21 females) had hyperuricemia. The mean SUA was 308.41 +/- 90.64 micromol/l for males and 254.59 +/- 85.79 micromol/l for females. In females, uric acid levels correlated significantly with age, body mass index (BMI), serum creatinine, and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), but not with serum cholesterol or triglycerides. In males, uric acid levels only correlated significantly with BMI and serum creatinine. No case of gout was found.

Association between serum uric acid levels and metabolic markers in patients with type 2 diabetes from a community with high diabetes prevalence

“…Table shows baseline characteristics of all patients as well as of subgroups with and without hyperuricemia. SUA levels >7.06 mg/dL for males and >6.05 mg/dL for females were considered as hyperuricemia . Mean ages of the whole cohort and normouricemic subgroup were similar.…”

The prevalence of gout in an urban area of Izmir, Turkey: A population-based epidemiological study

“…Epidemiologic studies indicate that gout and other crystal‐caused arthropathies occur or are reported less frequently in the Arabic‐speaking countries than in Turkey. Within a Saudi Arabian population, authors were unable to identify any case of gout among 487 investigated subjects .…”

“…Epidemiologic studies indicate that gout and other crystal‐caused arthropathies occur or are reported less frequently in the Arabic‐speaking countries than in Turkey. Within a Saudi Arabian population, authors were unable to identify any case of gout among 487 investigated subjects . However, direct comparison of the published rates is quite difficult because of the genetic, environmental and ethnic differences among populations and the major methodological differences among the studies, as well as the use of different classification criteria and the biases in hyperuricaemia determination.…”

Vitamin C Supplementation and Hyperuricemia: Fact or Hoax?

“…Hyperuricemia is the precursor of gout disease and it is characterised by a chronic elevation of serum uric acid (UA) [1]. A recent systematic review of population-based epidemiological studies showed a high prevalence of hyperuricemia throughout all regions of the world [2], and Saudi Arabia alone has a hyperuricemia prevalence of 8% [3]. In a 5year follow-up, 18.8% of the patients with hyperuricemia developed gout [4].…”