Association of serum uric acid with aortic stiffness and pressure in a Chinese workplace setting.
BACKGROUND
In the present analysis, we investigated the association of serum uric acid with aortic stiffness and pressure as measured by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV) and central systolic blood pressure (SBP), respectively.


METHODS
Our study was conducted in the framework of cardiovascular health examinations for the employees of a factory and their family members (ages 15-79 years). We performed arterial measurements using the SphygmoCor device. Hyperuricemia was defined as a serum uric acid concentration of at least 420 micromol/l in men and 360 micromol/l in women.


RESULTS
The 940 study participants included 207 (22.0%) hypertensive patients, of whom 92 (9.8%) took antihypertensive medication. Men (n = 620), compared with women (n = 320), had significantly (P < or = 0.03) higher serum uric acid concentration (363 +/- 76 vs. 272 +/- 64 micromol/l), prevalence of hyperuricemia (17.9% vs. 7.5%), cf-PWV (7.41 vs. 7.16 m/s), and central SBP (114.4 vs. 108.8 mm Hg). Both before and after adjustment for age, serum uric acid was significantly (P < or = 0.02) and positively associated with cf-PWV and central SBP in all subjects and in men and women separately. After full adjustment for covariates, the association with cf-PWV remained statistically significant (P < or = 0.009) in all subjects and men, and with central SBP in all subjects only. Categorical analyses were confirmatory. In all subjects, patients with hyperuricemia had significantly (P = 0.03) higher cf-PWV (7.51 vs. 7.29 m/s) and central SBP (114.9 vs. 112.1 mm Hg) than those with normal serum uric acid.


CONCLUSIONS
Serum uric acid was associated with aortic stiffness and pressure in a Chinese workplace setting, especially in men.
Chen
Xin
X
Centre for Epidemiological Studies and Clinical Trials, The Shanghai Institute of Hypertension, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Li
Yan
Y
Sheng
Chang-Sheng
CS
Huang
Qi-Fang
QF
Zheng
Yang
Y
Wang
Ji-Guang
JG
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001011:Aorta / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000503:physiopathology; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D033461:Hyperuricemia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016272:Occupational Health; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000097:blood*; D017132:Workplace; D055815:Young Adult
D014527:Uric Acid