To evaluate the association between ambient air pollution and hyperuricemia, we prospectively followed 1748 traffic police officers without hyperuricemia at baseline (2009-2014) from 11 districts in Guangzhou, China. We calculated six-year average PM10, SO2 and NO2 concentrations using data collected from air monitoring stations. The hazard ratios for hyperuricemia per 10 µg/m3 increase in air pollutants were 1.46 (95% CI: 1.28-1.68) for PM10, 1.23 (95% CI: 1.00-1.51) for SO2, and 1.43 (95% CI: 1.26-1.61) for NO2. We also identified changes in the ratio of serum uric acid to serum creatinine concentrations (ua/cre) per 10 µg/m3 increase in air pollutants as 11.54% (95% CI: 8.14%-14.93%) higher for PM10, 5.09% (95% CI: 2.76%-7.42%) higher for SO2, and 5.13% (95% CI: 2.35%-7.92%) higher for NO2, respectively. Long-term exposure to ambient air pollution was associated with a higher incidence of hyperuricemia and an increase in ua/cre among traffic police officers.
Keywords: Ambient air pollution; China; cohort study; hyperuricemia; traffic police officers.