Eating in line with a diet designed to reduce the risk of hypertension might also lower the risk of hyperuricaemia, a study suggests.

The cross-sectional study of nearly 72,000 people in China showed that those who ate a diet most in accordance with the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) had a 30% lower risk of having hyperuricaemia compared with those whose diet was least adherent.

Eating habits over the past year were ascertained by a questionnaire in which people were asked about their consumption of the nine components for which goals are set in the US National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute’s DASH Eating Plan.

Scores were given to people’s diet, varying from nine (lowest adherence to DASH) to 45 (highest).