Hyperuricemia increases the risk of cardiovascular mortality associated with very high HdL-cholesterol level

•During a median follow-up of 11.4 years a J-shaped association was found between HDL-cholesterol and cardiovascular mortality.•The highest risk was present in the high HDL-cholesterol group with an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.28; 95%CI, 1.02–1.61; p = 0.031.•A sex-specific analysis revealed that this association was present in women but not in men.•The risk of cardiovascular mortality related to high HDL-cholesterol was much greater in the women with high uric acid than in those with low uric acid.•In women older than 70 years with hyperuricemia the risk related to high HDL-cholesterol was 1.83 (95%CI, 1.19–2.80, p < 0.005).