A comparison of uric acid levels in Black African vs Caucasian women from South Africa: the POWIRS study.
OBJECTIVE
Elevated levels of uric acid are often associated with cardiometabolic risk factors. The aim of this study was to determine whether uric acid levels differ between African and Caucasian women and whether uric acid is associated with cardiometabolic risk factors within the two ethnic groups.


METHODS
Women from African (N=102) and Caucasian (N=115) descent were recruited and their uric acid levels measured. Anthropometric measurements included height (stature), weight, and waist circumference. Correlations between uric acid and cardiometabolic variables within each ethnic group were also determined.


RESULTS
African women had significantly lower levels of uric acid (P<.01) and significantly higher levels of blood pressure (P=.05) compared to the Caucasian women. There was a significant increase in blood pressure from the lower to higher uric acid tertiles in the African women. Uric acid strongly correlated with waist circumference in both ethnic groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite their higher blood pressure, the African women had lower uric acid levels, yet they showed a significant increase in blood pressure from a low uric acid tertile to high uric acid tertile, which was not noticeable in the Caucasian women. A possible explanation is a lower waist circumference in African women compared to Caucasian women.
Palmer
I M
IM
North-West University, School for Physiology, Nutrition and Consumer Sciences, Potchefstroom, South Africa. Lanthe.Palmer@nwu.ac.za
Schutte
A E
AE
Huisman
H W
HW
Van Rooyen
J M
JM
Schutte
R
R
Malan
L
L
Malan
N T
NT
D000328:Adult; D044383:Black People; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination / Q000379:methods; D004034:Diet Surveys; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood*; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000097:blood*; D044465:White People
D014527:Uric Acid