Tier 4 — mechanistic

Exploring the link between serum betaine levels and hyperuricemia risk in middle-aged and older adults: insights from a prospective cohort study

Zhen Li, Bi-Xia Huang, Zi-Hui Huang, Meng-Chu Li, Yu-Ming Chen, Hui-Lian Zhu
European journal of nutrition 2025 64(2):77

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 39891737
DOI
10.1007/s00394-025-03594-0
Funding
Indexed grant support: 82204021 — Innovative Research Group Project of the National Natural Science Foundation of China. The indexed list may not contain the complete funding declaration.
Competing interests
Reported disclosure: Declarations. Ethics approval: This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the School of Public Health at Sun Yat-sen University and was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03179657. Consent to participate: Written informed consent was obtained from all the participants at enrollment. Source of support: This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (no. 82204021). Conflict of interest: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Study snapshot

DesignProspective cohort
ModelHuman participants
Sample2204 adults aged 40-75
InterventionMeasured betaine status and related metabolites; no randomized TMG treatment
DurationRepeated follow-up at 3-year intervals
EndpointsUric acid; Hyperuricemia

What the study showed, in plain terms

Published in 2025, this source examined human observational and biomarker research. Design: Prospective cohort. Sample/model: 2204 adults aged 40-75. The exposure or intervention was Measured betaine status and related metabolites; no randomized TMG treatment. Follow-up or treatment period: Repeated follow-up at 3-year intervals.

Higher serum betaine was associated with lower uric acid and selected hyperuricemia comparisons; the overall quartile trend was borderline.

Observational exposure analysis: residual confounding and reverse causation remain possible. Associations do not establish that betaine supplementation causes the same outcome.

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Key findings

  • Higher serum betaine was associated with lower uric acid and selected hyperuricemia comparisons; the overall quartile trend was borderline.
  • The recorded outcome domains were Uric acid; Hyperuricemia.
  • The exposure was observed rather than assigned as an isolated supplement treatment.

What this study can and cannot tell us

  • Observational exposure analysis: residual confounding and reverse causation remain possible. Associations do not establish that betaine supplementation causes the same outcome.
  • Confounding, dietary patterns, illness, medication use and reverse causation can influence an association. Blood or dietary concentrations do not identify the effect of starting a capsule.
  • Source basis: Indexed abstract and bibliographic data. Missing method details, funding information or participant denominators are not inferred.

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Editorial review

Reviewed by the Biohack Blueprint research team

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Dr. Khaled Mahmoud, MBBChCritical Care Medicine, Longevity Science & Editorial Direction Dr. Amr Yasser, PhDCardiometabolic, Musculoskeletal, Gut & Bioavailability Dr. Abdulla Mostafa, PhDCellular Senescence, Neurological, Mitochondrial & Brain-Ageing Biology