[Association of nutrient patterns with serum uric acid in elderly across four Chinese provinces from 2018 to 2019].

Objective: To investigate the relationship between nutrient patterns and serum uric acid levels in the elderly population.

Methods: A total of 6288 elderly individuals aged 65 and above were analyzed from the Community-based Cohort Study on Nervous System Diseases baseline survey conducted from 2018 to 2021. Food frequency questionnaires were used to estimate the average daily intake of various foods per person in the past year, based on the frequency and quantity of food consumed per occasion. The average daily consumption of cooking oil and condiments per person was estimated by considering the average monthly household usage of these items and the number of meals prepared at home. Based on the food weights in Dietary Guidelines: Scientific Evidence and Methodological Studies and Chinese Food Composition, daily energy and nutrients intakes were calculated. Nutrient patterns for 24 nutrients, including macronutrients, vitamins and minerals, were extracted using principal component analysis. Quartile regression models were used to analyze the relationship between nutrient patterns and fasting serum uric acid levels.

Results: Male elderly, individuals aged ≥75 years, living in rural areas, with junior high school education or above, high income, smokers, drinkers, elderly with low physical activity level, high body mass index(BMI) value or having chronic diseases had significantly higher serum uric acid levels(P<0.05). Four nutrient patterns were extracted: the 'carbohydrate-vitamin B_1 pattern', the 'vitamin A-vitamin C pattern', the 'unsaturated fatty acid-vitamin E pattern', and the 'cholesterol pattern'. Each nutrient pattern was divided into four quartiles, with Q1 as the reference. The 'unsaturated fatty acid-vitamin E pattern' showed a negative correlation between Q4 and serum uric acid levels at the P10, P25, P50, and P75 quartiles(β-values and 95%CIs:-8.01(-15.55--0.48), -11.33(-17.77--4.89), -15.35(-18.39--5.35), -8.94(-17.46--0.41), P_(trend)<0.05); At the P25 percentile of serum uric acid levels, Q2, Q3, and Q4 were negatively correlated with serum uric acid levels(β-values and 95%CIs:-6.28(-12.49--0.06), -6.86(-12.67--1.06), -11.33(-17.77--4.89), respectively, P_(trend)<0.05). At the P50 percentile of serum uric acid levels, Q3 and Q4 were negatively correlated with blood uric acid levels(β-values and 95%CIs:-7.64(-14.39--0.89), -11.87(-18.39--5.35), respectively, P_(trend)<0.05).

Conclusion: The 'unsaturated fatty acid-vitamin E pattern' model had a greater impact on intermediate and lower serum uric acid levels in the elderly population, suggesting that targeted dietary interventions may have a lowering effect on intermediate and lower serum uric acid levels.