Abstract
Background: Health characteristics associated with uric acid (UA) in the Roma minority remain less well known. The study sought to determine the ethnicity- and sex-specific associations of serum UA with health factors in Eastern Slovakian Roma and non-Roma populations. Methods: Data from the comparative cross-sectional HepaMeta study conducted in Slovakia in 2011 were used. The study enrolled 452 Roma subjects (35.2% men) and 403 non-Roma individuals (45.9% men) aged 18–55 years. Results: All study parameters differed between the sexes in both the Roma and non-Roma participants (p < 0.05). UA was related to sex with odds ratio for female sex 0.873, 95% CI 0.853–0.893 (p < 0.0001) per 10-unit increase of UA. Average level of UA ± standard deviation was lower in Roma than in non-Roma (226.54 ± 79.8 vs. 259.11 ± 84.53 umol/L; p < 0.0001). The Roma population presented with greater levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) (3.07 ± 4 mg/L vs. 1.98 ± 2.83 mg/L; p < 0.0001) and ferritin in Roma males (403.78 ± 391.84 vs. 302.67 ± 236.26 mg/L; p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Serum UA is sex- and ethnicity specific. Elevated levels of hsCRP and ferritin particularly in Roma males can reflect low-grade systemic inflammation and thus serve as a marker of an increased cardiovascular risk.
Highlights
Cardiometabolic diseases belong to the most frequent disorders treated worldwide and emerge as a public health priority
The Roma subgroup consisted of 452 subjects (35.2% men) recruited from segregated settlements, while the non-Roma subgroup consisted of 403 individuals (45.9% men)
Participants were excluded per analysis on the ground of missing data
Summary
Cardiometabolic diseases belong to the most frequent disorders treated worldwide and emerge as a public health priority. They are associated with a significantly increased morbidity, overall disability, and premature mortality. Evidence suggests that cardiometabolic diseases are more prevalent among ethnic minorities [1,2,3]. The majority of the Roma people live in the eastern and southern parts of Slovakia. The study sought to determine the ethnicity- and sex-specific associations of serum UA with health factors in Eastern Slovakian Roma and non-Roma populations. Results: All study parameters differed between the sexes in both the Roma and non-Roma participants (p < 0.05). UA was related to sex with odds ratio for female sex 0.873, 95% CI
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