Prevalence of hyperuricemia in adolescents from 2000 to 2019 in Asia: A meta-analysis

Abstract Background: Studies of the prevalence of hyperuricemia in adolescents have been limited to specific areas and the prevalence in Asia is unknown. Objectives: This study was to determine the prevalence of hyperuricemia in adolescents in Asia from 2000 to 2019.Data sources: A comprehensive search was conducted to identify all relevant cross-sectional studies in Pubmed, Embase, and Cochrane library databases.Study eligibility criteria: “hyperuricemia” and “adolescent” were the two critical inclusion criteria. Participants, and interventions: Adolescents;Study appraisal and synthesis methods: Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed study quality using STROBE check list. Extracted information included the first author, study year, country, publication year, sample size, number of cases, and age of onset. Heterogeneity among studies was evaluated using the Q test and quantified using the I2 statistic. Subgroup analyses were performed to identify the source of the heterogeneity. The possibility of publication bias was assessed using Egger’s test. Results: The meta-analysis included 11 articles. The pooled prevalence of hyperuricemia in adolescents in Asia was 15.4% (95% CI 9.5-21.2%) and the prevalence of adolescents in Taiwan was higher than that in mainland China. The prevalence in coastal areas was higher than that in inland areas. The prevalence of men was higher than that of women. After excluding the high prevalence study in Taiwan, the prevalence of adolescents has been increasing year by year. Publication bias was observed but the results did not change after a trim and fill test, indicating that the impact of this bias was likely insignificant.Limitations: The diagnostic criteria for hyperuricemia for adolescents varied among the studies; some studies used their own cut-off values for hyperuricemia in adolescents.Conclusions and implications of key findings: Hyperuricemia prevalence in adolescents is high and continues to increase. The prevalence varies with geography, gender, and time. Effective measures should be taken to prevent any further increase in the incidence of adolescent hyperuricemia.Systematic review registration number: Not applicable.