title: Associations between serum uric acid and markers of subclinical atherosclerosis in young adults. The cardiovascular risk in Young Finns study.
abstract: METHODS
  Serum uric acid (SUA) is a suggested biomarker for established coronary artery disease, but the role of SUA in early phases of atherosclerosis is controversial. The relations of SUA with vascular markers of subclinical atherosclerosis, including carotid artery intima-media thickness (cIMT), carotid plaque, carotid distensibility (Cdist) and brachial flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) were examined in 1985 young adults aged 30-45 years. In addition to ordinary regression, we used Mendelian randomization techniques to infer causal associations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In women, the independent multivariate correlates of SUA included BMI, creatinine, alcohol use, triglycerides, glucose and adiponectin (inverse association) (Model R(2) = 0.30). In men, the correlates were BMI, creatinine, triglycerides, C-reactive protein, alcohol use, total cholesterol and adiponectin (inverse) (Model R(2) = 0.33). BMI alone explained most of the variation of SUA levels both in women and men (Partial R(2) ∼ 0.2). When SUA was modeled as an explanatory variable for vascular markers, it directly associated with cIMT and inversely with Cdist in age- and sex-adjusted analysis. After further adjustments for BMI or glomerular filtration rate, these relations were reduced to non-significance. No associations were found between SUA and FMD or the presence of a carotid plaque. Mendelian randomization analyses using known genetic variants for BMI and SUA confirmed that BMI is causally linked to SUA and that BMI is a significant confounder in the association between SUA and cIMT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SUA is associated with cardiovascular risk markers in young adults, especially BMI, but we found no evidence that SUA would have an independent role in the pathophysiology of early atherosclerosis.
authors: The Centre of Applied and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Turku, Kiinamyllynkatu 10, P.O. Box 52, FI-20520 Turku, Finland.
authors: Mervi
authors: M
authors: Oikonen
authors: Maria
authors: M
authors: Wendelin-Saarenhovi
authors: Leo-Pekka
authors: LP
authors: Lyytikäinen
authors: Niina
authors: N
authors: Siitonen
authors: Britt-Marie
authors: BM
authors: Loo
authors: Antti
authors: A
authors: Jula
authors: Ilkka
authors: I
authors: Seppälä
authors: Liisa
authors: L
authors: Saarikoski
authors: Terho
authors: T
authors: Lehtimäki
authors: Nina
authors: N
authors: Hutri-Kähönen
authors: Markus
authors: M
authors: Juonala
authors: Mika
authors: M
authors: Kähönen
authors: Risto
authors: R
authors: Huupponen
authors: Jorma S A
authors: JS
authors: Viikari
authors: Olli T
authors: OT
authors: Raitakari
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D058070:Asymptomatic Diseases; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D016018:Least-Squares Analysis; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D014527:Uric Acid