Plasma Uric Acid and the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in a Chinese Community

Previous cross-sectional studies have shown hyperuricemia to be prevalent among individuals with metabolic syndrome, but the evidence from prospective studies of an association between uric acid and diabetes risk is limited. We prospectively investigated the association between plasma concentrations of uric acid and the incidence of type 2 diabetes in Chinese individuals. We conducted a community-based prospective cohort study of 2690 participants (age range, 35-97 years) in the Chin-Shan Community Cardiovascular Cohort Study, who were found to be free of diabetes and cardiovascular disease during baseline assessment at study entry in 1990. During a median 9.0-year follow-up, 548 participants developed type 2 diabetes. High plasma uric acid concentrations were associated with a higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome. After adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, and other covariates, the relative risks (RR) of diabetes according to uric acid quintile were 1.11, 1.29, 1.40, and 1.63 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.20-2.23; P for trend