Lipoprotein combined index and prevalent hyperuricemia among normolipidemic oilfield workers: a cross-sectional study

Objectives – The lipoprotein combined index (LCI) reflects composite lipid metabolic patterns and may capture subtle metabolic disturbances beyond conventional lipid markers. Evidence regarding its relationship with hyperuricemia among normolipidemic individuals is scarce. This study investigated the association between LCI and hyperuricemia in an occupational population with normal lipid levels. Methods – A total of 2, 029 normolipidemic oilfield workers were included. Hyperuricemia was primarily defined using sex-specific serum uric acid thresholds. Associations between LCI and hyperuricemia were examined using logistic regression, with dose-response relationships explored by restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis. Prespecified subgroup and multiple sensitivity analyses were conducted to assess robustness. Results – Hyperuricemia prevalence rose from 9.25% in the lowest LCI quartile to 28.99% in the highest. In fully adjusted models, each standard deviation increase in LCI was associated with a 37% higher odds of hyperuricemia (OR = 1.37, 95% CI: 1.20–1.58, P < 0.001). Compared with the lowest quartile, participants in the highest quartile had more than double the odds (OR = 2.18, 95% CI: 1.45–3.30, P < 0.001), with a significant linear trend (P for trend < 0.001). RCS analysis further supported a positive and linear association between LCI and prevalent hyperuricemia (P for nonlinear = 0.427). Subgroup analyses showed consistent positive associations across all strata, with numerically higher ORs observed in older and female individuals, and no statistically significant interactions were detected (all P for interaction > 0.05). All sensitivity analyses yielded similar results. Conclusions – Higher LCI levels were associated with increased odds of hyperuricemia among normolipidemic oilfield workers. LCI may serve as an early marker of urate-related metabolic dysregulation, offering additional value beyond traditional lipid indicators. Longitudinal studies are warranted to confirm its predictive potential.