Assessment of the impact of hyperuricemia on the risk of thyroid nodules based on propensity score matching / 中华地方病学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To investigate the prevalence of thyroid nodules (TN) among people undergoing physical examination in Taiyuan City, and evaluate the impact of hyperuricemia (HUA) on the risk of TN.Methods:Using a prospective design, a total of 42 966 people who underwent routine physical examination at Shanxi Shangning Health Examination Center from October 2020 to October 2021 were selected as subjects and divided into the HUA group ( n = 7 235) and the non-HUA group ( n = 35 731) based on the serum uric acid levels. The propensity score matching (PSM) method was used to balance the confounding factors between groups, and logistic regression was used to analyze the impact of HUA on the risk of TN. Results:The total detection rate of TN in the physical examination population was 55.6% (23 907/42 966). The detection rate of TN in females [61.0% (15 011/24 618)] was higher than that in males [48.5% (8 896/18 348)], and the difference was statistically significant (χ 2 = 664.55, P < 0.001). A total of 2 438 pairs of matching data were obtained after PSM, and the distribution of confounding factors in HUA and non-HUA groups reached equilibrium (the absolute values of standardized differences < 0.10). Logistic regression analysis before PSM showed that HUA was a protective factor for the incidence of TN in general population and males [odds ratio ( OR) = 0.696, 0.817, 95% confidence interval ( CI) 0.661 - 0.732, 0.768 - 0.868], while HUA was a risk factor for the incidence of TN in females ( OR = 1.370, 95% CI 1.192 - 1.574). After PSM, HUA was not a influencing factor for the incidence of TN in general population and males ( P > 0.05), but it was still a risk factor in females for the onset of TN ( OR = 1.373, 95% CI 1.014 - 1.858). Conclusion:In the physical examination population in Taiyuan City, HUA is an independent risk factor for TN in females.