Association between dietary folate and hyperuricemia based on inflammation and cardiovascular disease status.

Background and aims: The impact of dietary folate intake on serum uric acid is not yet conclusive. This study aims to investigate the association between dietary folate intake and the risk of hyperuricemia according to inflammatory status and comorbidities in Korean adults.

Methods and results: The cross-sectional analysis was conducted on 14,445 subjects aged ≥19 years enrolled in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHNES) from 2016 to 2021. Dietary folate intake was assessed using the 24-h recall method. Dietary folate consumption was positively associated with the intake of beans, vegetables, and fruits, and negatively associated with cereals and meat intake. After adjusting for potential confounders, increased folate intake was found to be associated with a decreased risk of hyperuricemia (odds ratio for the highest tertile compared to the lowest tertile = 0.71 (95 % CI: 0.62-0.82)). The protective effect of folate intake against hyperuricemia was higher in individuals with normal inflammatory status compared to those with low-grade inflammation. Furthermore, the protective effect was greater in individuals without hypertension, dyslipidemia, and cardiovascular disease compared to those with these conditions.

Conclusion: These results suggest that dietary intake may help mitigate hyperuricemia, and individuals with inflammatory condition or cardiovascular diseases may require higher intake levels to achieve similar protective effects compared to healthy individuals.