Hyperuricemia and associated factors: The case of outpatients at the Bafoussam Regional Hospital- Cameroon, an analytical cross-sectional study

Background and Aims Hyperuricemia constitutes a major public health issue due to its implication in many chronic diseases and metabolic syndromes. We propose to study the prevalence and associated factors of hyperuricemia to diagnose asymptomatic patients and make prognoses on the state of health of the patients. Methods An analytic cross-sectional study has been carried out at the Bafoussam Regional Hospital and the Biochemistry laboratory of the Universite des Montagnes over 2 months. Sociodemographic and anthropometric characteristic was obtained; a blood sample was collected from the chosen patients and a biochemical test (uric acid, creatinine, urea, total cholesterol, high density lipoproteins cholesterol, triglyceride) was analyzed by spectrophotometric method. Statistical tests were carried out using SPSS statistical software. Logistic regression analyses identified factors associated with variables of interest. The significance was measured by a p < 0.05 with a confidential level of 95%. Results The patient population was made up of 100 patients. The sex ratio was 1.22 in favor of men. The prevalence of hyperuricemia in our study was 28.0% with 31.1% in women and 27.3% in men. The mean average of uric acid in the hyperuricemia population was 7.50 +/- 1.24 mg/L and the normal uricemia population was 4.69 +/- 1.49 mg/L (p < 0.0001). The mean average triglyceride in the hyperuricemia population was 143 +/- 14 and 117.55 +/- 55.52 mg/dL in normal uricemia with p = 0.046. Age range [35-45] and hypertriglyceridemia have been associated with hyperuricemia with respectively (odds ratio [OR] = 4.07, p < 0.015) confidence interval, CI: [0.89: 97.0]) and ([OR = 2.50, p < 0.046] CI: [1.01: 6.09]). Conclusion The prevalence of hyperuricemia was relatively high and has been associated with metabolic disorders in the population. It is necessary to focus on early diagnoses, treatment, and early intervention in view to prevent chronic diseases associated with hyperuricemia.