Open AccessTHE HIGH PREVALENCE OF HYPERURICAEMIA IN A POLYNESIAN POPULATION
Author(s) -
Jackson Livia,
Taylor R.,
Whitehouse Sunny,
Zimmet P.
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
community health studies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.946
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1753-6405
pISSN - 0314-9021
DOI - 10.1111/j.1753-6405.1980.tb00294.x
Subject(s) - gout , uric acid , gouty arthritis , medicine , population , hyperuricemia , demography , environmental health , sociology
Abstract The overall prevalence of hyperuricaemia (raised serum uric acid) in the isolated Polynesian population of Funafuti, aged 20 years and over, was found to be 34.1 percent. The prevalence for males was 32.3 percent and for females 35.7 percent. Despite this high prevalence of hyperuricaemia, no cases of gout were identified. Although hyperuricaemia is not uncommon in Polynesian populations, and probably genetic in origin, the absence of gout is unusual and supports the theory that certain environmental influences in the “modern” way of life are necessary precipitating factors of arthritis in those with hyperuricaemia.