Serum uric acid: Its association with other risk factors and with mortality in coronary heart disease

Abstract

Serum Uric Acid (SUA) was measured at baseline in the placebo group of 2789 men with previously diagnosed myocardial infarction in the Coronary Drug Project (CDP). (1) In the CDP group, several cardiovascular risk factors measured concurrently showed a statistically significant low-order correlation with SUA. (2) Follow-up experience for 3 yr was used to evaluate SUA level as a prognosticator of subsequent total mortality and of definite nonfatal myocardial infarction in this group of patients. Univariate analysis suggested that the total mortality rate was higher in patients with higher SUA than with lower. However, when prescription of diuretic drugs was controlled in this analysis, SUA had little independent predictive power for total mortality. Rate of occurrence of definite nonfatal myocardial infarction was unrelated to level of SUA in either univariate or multivariate analysis. (3) In both diuretic users and nonusers, rate of occurrence of attacks of gout was low in persons with no history of gout prior to baseline with SUA levels <9.0mg/dl; moderate in men with no history of gout prior to baseline but with SUA levels ≥9.0 mg/ dl; and high in men with a history of gout prior to baseline.