Prevalence and Intensity of Musculoskeletal (Joint) Pain in Patients with Hyperuricemia Among Population of Lahore

Background: Hyperuricemia is increasingly prevalent and may contribute to musculoskeletal pain even in the absence of overt gout. Early identification of joint involvement patterns remains limited in South Asian populations. Objective: To determine the prevalence, anatomical distribution, and intensity of musculoskeletal joint pain among hyperuricemic adults in Lahore and evaluate the association between serum uric acid (SUA) levels and pain severity. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted in 102 adults aged 20–60 years with laboratory-confirmed hyperuricemia recruited from two tertiary hospitals in Lahore. Pain intensity was measured using a 10-cm Visual Analogue Scale. Joint involvement was recorded by anatomical site. Pearson correlation assessed associations between SUA and pain intensity and between SUA and joint-specific involvement. Results: Males constituted 55.9% of participants. The knee was the most prevalent symptomatic joint (27.5%), followed by ankle (24.5%) and shoulder (17.6%). The MTP joint showed the strongest association with SUA (r = 0.302, p = 0.002). SUA demonstrated a moderate positive correlation with pain intensity (r = 0.564, 95% CI 0.415–0.684, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Elevated serum uric acid levels are significantly associated with increased musculoskeletal pain intensity. While knee pain is most prevalent, the MTP joint shows the strongest metabolic association. Early metabolic assessment and lifestyle modification may reduce musculoskeletal morbidity.