Relationship between hyperuricaemia and arterial stiffness

Abstract

Milda Grigonytė1, Badarienė Jolita3, Alma Čypienė2,3, Jolanta Dadonienė1,2 1Vilnius University, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius, Lithuania, LT – 03104, Ciurlionio 21 2 State Research Institute Centre for Innovative Medicine, Vilnius, Lithuania, LT – 08406, Santariskiu 5 3 Clinic of Cardiac and Vascular Diseases, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, LT – 08406, Santariskiu 2 Abstract Introduction. Hyperuricaemia has been classically associated with metabolic syndrome, however, association to cardiovascular health is still not well established. Aim. The aim of this study was to examine the differences of early atherosclerosis parameters between hyperuricaemic and non-hyperuricaemic patients and examine the associations between uric acid and arterial stiffness in a large group of patients with metabolic syndrome. Materials and methods. This cross-sectional study included 709 (445 women and 264 men) participants with previously diagnosed metabolic syndrome. We evaluated associations between uric acid and non-invasive vascular stiffness parameters of early artherosclerosis: mean blood pressure, augmentation index, pulse wave velocity, flow mediated dilatation and carotid artery intima media thickness. Results. 239 persons (33.71%) were found to be hyperuricaemic. Comparing the two groups dichotomized by uric acid level, carotid femoral pulse wave velocity was higher in group with elevated uric acid, while augmentation index was evidently lower. Significant but weak association was found between uric acid and augmentation index. The negative correlation showed the indirect relationship: with elevation of uric acid the augmentation index tended to decrease showing arteries being less responsive to pulse wave. Keywords: metabolic syndrome, arterial stiffness, uric acid, augmentation index.