title: Serum uric acid and incident osteoporotic fractures in old people: The PRO.V.A study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although high serum uric acid (SUA) levels are associated with negative outcomes in older people, recent studies reported that hyperuricemia could help protect against the onset of bone fractures. We consequently examined whether baseline SUA levels were associated with risk of incident osteoporotic fractures in a representative group of elderly people with no fractures or other bone-modifying conditions or drugs at the baseline.
  
  
  METHODS
  Among 3099 people aged ≥ 65 years initially involved in the PRO.V.A. study, 1586 participants with no prior diagnosis of osteoporotic fractures, and no conditions or medication affecting bone metabolism at the baseline were followed up for 4.4 ± 1.2 years. Baseline SUA levels were classified in gender-specific quintiles. Incident osteoporotic fractures were considered as any new fractures occurring at the usual sites of osteoporotic fractures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the baseline, participants with higher SUA levels had significantly less osteoporosis and lower serum beta cross-laps levels, but higher serum parathormone concentrations irrespective of gender. Over a 4.4-year follow-up, 185 subjects were diagnosed with a new osteoporotic fracture, giving rise to an incidence of 25 events per 1,000 person-years. Cox's regression analysis, adjusted for potential baseline and follow-up confounders, revealed no relationship between high SUA levels and incident fractures during the follow-up in the sample as a whole (p for trend=0.46) or by gender (p for trend=0.14 in males and 0.64 in females).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Baseline SUA concentrations were not associated with the onset of new osteoporotic fractures over a 4.4-year follow-up in our sample of community-dwelling older men and women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine DIMED, Geriatrics Division; University of Padova, Italy. Electronic address: ilmannato@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Veronese
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine DIMED, Geriatrics Division; University of Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bolzetta
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine DIMED, Geriatrics Division; University of Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Rui
authors.affiliation: National Research Council, Neuroscience Institute, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maggi
authors.affiliation: National Research Council, Neuroscience Institute, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Marianna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Noale
authors.affiliation: National Research Council, Neuroscience Institute, Padova, Italy; Department of Medicine DIMED, Clinica Medica I, University of Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Sabina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zambon
authors.affiliation: Division of Health Care Planning and Evaluation of the Regione Veneto, Venice, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Chiara
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Corti
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine DIMED, Geriatrics Division; University of Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Elena Debora
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Toffanello
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine Division, Azienda Ospedaliera, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovannella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Baggio
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences, Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health Unit, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Egle
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Perissinotto
authors.affiliation: National Research Council, Neuroscience Institute, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Gaetano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Crepaldi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine DIMED, Geriatrics Division; University of Padova, Italy; National Research Council, Neuroscience Institute, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Enzo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Manzato
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine DIMED, Geriatrics Division; University of Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sergi
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D058866:Osteoporotic Fractures / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012307:Risk Factors; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014527:Uric Acid
keywords: Community-dwelling adults; Elderly; Fractures; Osteoporosis; Serum uric acid