Establishing reference values for serum urate in healthy adults from Mexico City: Data from the Tlalpan 2020 cohort

Background

Urate is the final product of purine catabolism, and its levels have been linked to various cardiometabolic disorders. In Mexico, most epidemiological data on urate levels derive from populations with existing comorbidities, limiting the establishment of normative reference values.

Objective

To characterize the distribution of serum urate concentrations in a healthy adult population residing in Mexico City.

Methods

A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using data from 3099 healthy adults (64.6% women) enrolled in the Tlalpan 2020 cohort. Participants with chronic diseases, abnormal blood pressure or glucose levels, or exposure to urate-altering medications were excluded. Clinical, anthropometric, and biochemical parameters were recorded, and serum urate concentrations were analyzed overall and stratified by sex.

Results

The median serum urate level in the overall cohort was 5.16 mg/dL (interquartile range, 4.32–6.15), with a central 95% reference interval ranging from 3.05 to 7.98 mg/dL. Median urate levels differed significantly by sex: 4.60 mg/dL (3.99–5.28) in women and 6.39 mg/dL (5.61–7.09) in men. The prevalence of hyperuricemia in the total cohort was 16.5%, notably higher in men (28.4%) compared to women (10.0%).

Conclusion

This study establishes sex-specific reference values for serum urate in a healthy Mexican adult population. The findings may inform clinical decision-making and future research on urate-related risk stratification.