Lowering the risk of hyperuricemia and gout is associated with ideal cardiovascular health

Hyperuricemia (HUA) and gout have been demonstrated as independent risk factors for cardiovascular disease. The relationship between the recently updated Life’s Essentials 8 (LE8), which measures ideal cardiovascular health (CVH), and HUA and gout remains unclear. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between CVH and the prevalence of HUA and gout among a nationally representative sample of US adults.

This study utilized cross-sectional analysis of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for the years 2007 to 2018. The CVH scores and their corresponding components were defined according to the guidelines established by the American Heart Association. The association between the LE8 score and both HUA and gout was assessed using weighted multivariable logistic and restricted cubic spline (RCS) models.

Among the 21,155 participants aged 20 years and older, the prevalence of HUA was 17.20% (95% CI, 16.05–18.36%), and the prevalence of gout was 3.58% (95% CI, 3.13–4.02%). After adjusting for potential confounders, compared to participants exhibiting low CVH, the multivariable adjusted odds ratio (OR) for HUA was 0.65 (95% CI, 0.56–0.75) in those with moderate CVH, and 0.25 (95% CI, 0.20–0.31) in those with high CVH. Additionally, compared to participants with low CVH, the multivariable adjusted OR for gout was 0.66 (95% CI, 0.53–0.81) in those with moderate CVH and 0.32 (95% CI, 0.20–0.50) in those with high CVH. The LE8 score exhibited a significant nonlinear negative association with HUA and linear negative correlation with gout. In subgroup analyses focusing on HUA, significant interactions were observed between LE8 score and age, sex, and CKD (P for interaction < 0.05). For gout, only a significant interaction between LE8 score and sex was observed (P for interaction < 0.05).

Among adults, there was a significant negative correlation between LE8 score and the prevalence of HUA and gout. Maintaining an ideal CVH may be beneficial in reducing the burden of HUA and gout.