Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39984884›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2025

The relationship between serum uric acid level and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in northern China: a retrospective cohort study.

Qian He, Xinyue Liu, Guoyong Ding, Yiying Wang, Xiaoting Luo, Wenyuan Cao, Weijia Xing

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Qian He *School of Public Health, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China.
Xinyue Liu *Tai'an City Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Taian, China.
Guoyong DingSchool of Public Health, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China.
Yiying WangDepartment of Medical, Rizhao Mental Health Center, Rizhao, China.
Xiaoting LuoSchool of Public Health, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China.
Wenyuan CaoSchool of Public Health, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China.
Weijia XingSchool of Public Health, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China. wjxing@sdfmu.edu.cn.

Funding

Joint Innovation Team for Clinical & Basic Research 202407Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation ZR2023QH135Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation ZR2024MH236The National Natural Science Foundation of China No. 81903401The Shandong Province Higher Educational Young and Innovation Technology Supporting Program 2019KJL004The Young Taishan Scholars Program of Shandong Province of China No. tsqn20161046
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundNon-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become the most prevalent chronic liver disease among adults. High uric acid (UA) increases the incidence of NAFLD in the general population. However, further exploration is warranted to determine the relationship between UA levels and NAFLD in various populations. We conducted a historical cohort study to investigate the causality between UA and NAFLD across different weight categories.

methodsA historical cohort was established from the Jidong community cohort. All participants were enrolled and followed up from July 1

resultsTwo thousand nine hundred eighty four participants were enrolled. 740 (24.8%) were assigned to UA Q1 group, 755 (25.3%) to UA Q2, 743 (24.9%) to UA Q3, and 746 (25.0%) to UA Q4. The global incidence of NAFLD was 26.0% (777/2984). The risk of NAFLD significantly increased with elevated UA levels in underweight and normal-weight participants (HR = 3.498, 95% CI: 2.413-5.072, P < 0.05). In multivariable analysis, UA showed a positive association with NAFLD, independent of other risk factors in underweight and normal-weight participants (UA Q2: 1.152 (0.761-1.743), UA Q3: 2.168 (1.489-3.157), UA Q4: 3.075 (2.103-4.196), P < 0.05). In the absence of other risk factors, high UA levels independently explained 17% of NAFLD risk in underweight and normal-weight participants.

conclusionsHigh UA levels serve as an independent risk factor for NAFLD in underweight and normal-weight individuals, highlighting the necessity of early NAFLD screening through monitoring liver function and UA levels, and personalized treatment plans for NAFLD patients with higher UA levels, which may include uric acid-lowering therapy and lifestyle modifications. However, the relationship between UA levels and NAFLD in overweight and obese individuals remains inconclusive.

Indexed as

Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver DiseaseUric AcidAdultBody Mass IndexChinaFemaleHumansIncidenceMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesRisk FactorsUric AcidCohort studyNon-alcoholic fatty liver diseaseRisk factorUric acid

Identifiers

PMID39984884
PMCPMC11843771

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.