Association of serum uric acid levels with emotional and affective temperaments.
BACKGROUND
Temperament relates to emotions and the prevailing mood or affective temperament. Uric acid (UA) is the end-product of purine metabolism and has been associated with psychological features such as high energy/drive, positive affect, achievement, good performance, higher social status and leadership.


METHODS
129 subjects (44 males, 85 females) completed with the Combined Emotional and Affective Temperaments Scale, serum UA levels and a general health questionnaire.


RESULTS
In the whole sample, serum UA levels were significantly correlated with disinhibition (r=0.36, p<0.001) and drive (r=0.25, p<0.01), but not with control, anger or any of the affective temperament scores. Among males, we found correlations at trend level (p>0.05 and <0.07) for control (r=0.27), irritable (r=0.29) and hyperthymic (r=0.27) affective temperaments. Among females, a significant correlation was found only with disinhibition (r=0.34, p=0.001). The top tertile of males (serum UA>6.0 mg/ml, n=16) had significantly higher drive (29.9+/-5.9x26.0+/-3.6, p=0.01) and higher control at trend level (21.2+/-3.1x19.3+/-2.9, p=0.054) than other males. Among women, the top tertile (serum UA>4.0 mg/ml, n=29) showed higher disinhibition scores (20.7+/-4.9x17.9+/-3.6, p<0.01) and more frequent choices of hyperthymic (8/26x6/59, p=0.023) and irritable temperaments (7/26x5/59, p=0.031) than the rest of the sample. Controlling for daily intake of meat and grains, which could lead to higher UA levels, did not change these results.


CONCLUSIONS
Small sample size for males.


CONCLUSIONS
Externalized traits of temperament are associated with higher serum UA levels both in men and women.
Lorenzi
T M
TM
Faculdade de Biociências, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Borba
D L
DL
Dutra
G
G
Lara
D R
DR
D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology*; D000786:Anger / Q000502:physiology; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology; D001938:Brazil; D004328:Drive; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics; D012016:Reference Values; D012737:Sex Factors; D013694:Temperament / Q000502:physiology*; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000097:blood*
D014527:Uric Acid