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Observational Study
. 2025 Feb 1;64(2):77.
doi: 10.1007/s00394-025-03594-0.

Exploring the link between serum betaine levels and hyperuricemia risk in middle-aged and older adults: insights from a prospective cohort study

Zhen Li  1 , Bi-Xia Huang  2   3   4 , Zi-Hui Huang  1 , Meng-Chu Li  1 , Yu-Ming Chen  1 , Hui-Lian Zhu  5   6
Affiliations
Observational Study

Exploring the link between serum betaine levels and hyperuricemia risk in middle-aged and older adults: insights from a prospective cohort study

Zhen Li et al. Eur J Nutr. .

Abstract

Purpose: Betaine is connected to various cardio-metabolic outcomes, yet its relationship with hyperuricemia remains uncertain. We aimed to longitudinally investigate the association between serum betaine levels and the risk of hyperuricemia in middle-aged and older adults.

Methods: This study utilized data from the Guangzhou Nutrition and Health Study (GNHS). Participants were enrolled between 2008 and 2010, with follow-ups conducted every three years, comprised an analysis sample of 2204 adults aged 40-75. Baseline serum betaine levels were assessed using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Serum uric acid (SUA) levels were measured at baseline and every three years thereafter. Linear mixed-effects models (LMEMs) and generalized estimating equations (GEEs) were employed to examine the longitudinal association between serum betaine levels and SUA levels, as well as hyperuricemia risk, respectively.

Results: LMEMs indicated that compared to individuals in the lowest quartile (Q1) of serum betaine levels, those in the highest quartile (Q4) exhibited the lowest SUA levels (Q4 vs. Q1: β -8.19, 95% CI -16.32 to -0.06, P-trend = 0.023). Each standard deviation increase in betaine (16.5 µmol/L) was associated to SUA levels decrease of -3.28 (-6.10, -0.45). Results from the GEE model suggested a 19% reduction in the odds of hyperuricemia (OR = 0.81; 95% CI: 0.68, 0.95, P-trend = 0.051) in the Q4 group compared to the Q1 category.

Conclusion: Our findings highlight a negative association between serum betaine levels and SUA levels, as well as the risk of hyperuricemia in middle-aged and older adults, which is more pronounced in individuals with better dietary quality.

Trial registration: This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03179657. Website: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03179657.

Keywords: Betaine; Hyperuricemia; Middle-aged and older adults; Prospective cohort; Serum uric acid.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval: This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the School of Public Health at Sun Yat-sen University and was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03179657. Consent to participate: Written informed consent was obtained from all the participants at enrollment. Source of support: This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (no. 82204021). Conflict of interest: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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