Association between serum uric acid and cardiovascular risk in nonhypertensive and nondiabetic individuals: The Taiwan I-Lan Longitudinal Aging Study

Chun-Chin Chang,Cheng-Hsueh Wu,Ruey-Hsing Chou,Liang-Kung Chen,Chin-Sung Kuo,Po-Hsun Huang,Li-Kuo Liu,Shing-Jong Lin

doi:10.1038/s41598-018-22997-0

Abstract

Serum uric acid level is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, whether it is an independent risk factor or not remains controversial. We analyzed the association between serum uric acid level and cardiovascular risk. In total, 973 nonhypertensive and nondiabetic participants in the I-Lan Longitudinal Aging Study were eligible for this study. Subjects were divided into tertiles according to uric acid levels. The 10-year cardiovascular risk was calculated using Framingham risk score (FRS). Study subjects in the highest tertile of serum uric acid level were older, more likely to be male, and had higher systolic blood pressure, body mass index, carotid artery intima–media thickness and serum triglyceride, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and lower serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (all p < 0.05). Subjects in the highest tertile had significantly higher FRS (p < 0.001). After adjusting for other risk factors, serum uric acid level remained associated significantly with the FRS (p < 0.05). In binary logistic regression analysis, the serum uric acid level was an independent predictive factor for high (≥20%) FRS (odds ratio 1.33, 95% confidence interval 1.10–1.68). These findings warrant attention to this cardiovascular risk factor in apparently healthy adults.

Highlights

An increased serum uric acid level is a common finding in patients with hypertension, insulin resistance, obesity, and cardiovascular disease (CVD)
We investigated the association between serum uric acid concentration and cardiovascular risk in nonhypertensive and nondiabetic individuals, with the aim of minimizing potential unwanted interactions
The subjects were divided into tertiles according to serum uric acid concentration

Summary

Introduction

An increased serum uric acid level is a common finding in patients with hypertension, insulin resistance, obesity, and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Study participants in the third tertile of serum uric acid level were older, more likely to be male, and had higher SBP, BMI, and serum triglyceride and LDL-C levels and lower HDL-C levels (all p < 0.05). The serum uric acid level was correlated positively with the FRS, age, SBP, BMI, triglyceride level, LDL-C level, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level, smoking, and cIMT (all p < 0.01), but negatively with the HDL-C level and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) (both p < 0.01).

Results

Conclusion