title: High uric acid level associated with increased arterial stiffness in apparently healthy women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Increased serum uric acid level is regarded as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and found to be associated with increased arterial stiffness. While previous studies investigated the relationship between serum uric acid and arterial stiffness, most did not exclude the confounding factors, such as history or medications of hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia and hyperuricemia. The aim of this study was to explore the association of uric acid with arterial stiffness in an apparently healthy population.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study enrolled 7025 participants during health examinations from October 2006 to August 2009. A total of 5150 apparently healthy subjects were enrolled in the final analysis. Arterial stiffness was measured by brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV). Uric acid was divided into quartiles in men (Q1: 59.5-333.1, Q2: 333.2-380.7, Q3: 380.8-428.3, Q4: 428.4-701.9 μmol/L) and women (Q1: 113.0-236.4, Q2: 236.5-273.6, Q3:273.7-315.2, Q4:315.3-585.0 μmol/L).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Uric acid level was significantly different between women with and without increased arterial stiffness, but not in men. ANCOVA showed that women with Q3 and Q4 of serum uric acid had greater baPWV level. In multiple logistic regression analysis, Q4 (OR = 1.53, 95% CI = 1.04-2.26) of uric acid was positively associated with increased baPWV in women, but not in men. In addition, age and high blood pressure were also independently associated factors of increased arterial stiffness for both genders.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In apparently healthy women, high-normal serum uric acid or greater was associated with greater risk of arterial stiffness. However, the relationship between hyperuricemia and increased arterial stiffness was not significant in men.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Jo-I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Taiwan, ROC; Department of Family Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Jin-Shang
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Taiwan, ROC; Department of Family Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Yi-Ching
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Ru-Hsueh
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Taiwan, ROC; Department of Family Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Feng-Hwa
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Taiwan, ROC; Department of Family Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, ROC. Electronic address: Changcj.ncku@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Chih-Jen
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000097:blood; D055109:Ankle Brachial Index; D000886:Anthropometry; D058070:Asymptomatic Diseases; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015897:Comorbidity; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D033461:Hyperuricemia / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D063177:Pulse Wave Analysis; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012907:Smoking / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000097:blood*; D059289:Vascular Stiffness
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D008055:Lipids; D014527:Uric Acid
keywords: Arterial stiffness; Gender; Pulse wave velocity; Serum uric acid