Prevalence and Influencing Factors of Hyperuricemia Among High-Altitude and Low-Altitude Populations: A Comparative Study

Abstract

Abstract Plateaus are areas with an altitude higher than 2,500 m, characterized by low air pressure, low temperature, and oxygen content, which can promote and exacerbate the occurrence of hyperuricemia. In addition, various factors such as genetics, diet, and living habits are closely related to hyperuricemia. To explore the differences in uric acid levels and the prevalence of hyperuricemia between high-altitude and low-altitude populations and to identify the key factors that contribute to these differences, individuals living in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (101 individuals) and low-altitude areas (502 individuals) from two periods (March to August 2021 and March to August 2022) were asked to participate and complete questionnaires detailing their characteristics such as body mass index, physical activity levels, smoking and alcohol consumption habits, and dietary preferences. The results indicated that there were significantly more individuals living in low-altitude areas with high uric acid levels, accounting for 56.43%, than in low-altitude areas (5.38%). Our results demonstrated that excessive intake of urate-producing foods, which may lead to overweight and obesity, and inability to eliminate the uric acid produced through exercise may be one of the important reasons for the higher proportion of mechanically ventilated patients in plateau areas. Factors such as body mass index, night snacks, beans, and smoking have significant effects on uric acid levels when comparing individuals living in high- and low-altitude areas. This study preliminarily investigated the relationship between living habits and exercise habits of individuals living in different altitude areas and hyperuricemia and preliminarily formalized the relationship between high altitude and uric acid levels, which provides basic data for the prevention and treatment of such diseases in the future and has certain guiding significance.