Association between oral health and hyperuricemia in Korean adults: Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2016-2019

Background/Aims: Hyperuricemia plays an essential role in the gout. Despite the clinical significance of hyperuricemia, a direct relationship between oral health and hyperuricemia has not been established. We aim to investigate the association between oral health and hyperuricemia. Methods: We selected 17,557 subjects from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey database for the years 2016-2019. Oral health-related variables included the number of dental caries, regular tooth brushing, use of secondary oral products, and regular dental examinations. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for hyperuricemia were calculated using a multivariable-adjusted logistic regression model. Results: Oral health status with dental caries and oral health behaviors, including tooth brushing, secondary oral products, and regular dental examination, were significantly associated with hyperuricemia in all participants. The adjusted OR and 95% CIs for hyperuricemia comparing more than three dental caries with no dental caries were 1.28 (1.08-1.52). The adjusted OR and 95% CIs for hyperuricemia in regular tooth brushing, use of secondary oral products, and regular dental examination were 0.78 (0.67-0.91), 0.91 (0.83-1.00), and 0.86 (0.78-0.95), respectively. Notably, the association between oral health and hyperuricemia was more prominent in male subjects. In addition, when subjects were grouped by the oral health scoring system, the prevalence of hyperuricemia was lower in groups with better oral health scores. Conclusions: We demonstrated that oral health status and behaviors are associated with hyperuricemia, particularly in males. Further studies are necessary to confirm the association between oral health and hyperuricemia.