Lin WD, et al. – Via assessing a cohort of 11,488 permanent Southern Chinese residents (aged 35 or older) using a panel of blood tests and single-lead 24-hour ECG, researchers evaluated the prevalence of hyperuricemia (HUA; serum uric acid level > 420 μmol/L in men and > 360 μmol/L in women) and its association with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). They found that HUA prevalence was 39.6%, and NVAF was present in 144 participants. HUA prevalence increased in females with age, but remained steadily high in males. Increasing age, living in an urban setting, consuming alcohol, and metabolic syndrome components were found to increase the risk of HUA. Those with HUA had a significantly increased risk for atrial fibrillation, and the uric acid level had moderate predictive value for NVAF among women.