Association Between Serum Uric Acid, Metabolic Syndrome, and Carotid Atherosclerosis in Japanese Individuals

Abstract

Objective-There are few data available on possible independent association between uric acid and carotid atherosclerosis.Here we first sought to investigate association between uric acid levels and metabolic syndrome in Japanese; second, we assessed whether there is an independent association of uric acid with prevalence of carotid atherosclerosis in individuals subdivided according to gender and metabolic syndrome status. Methods and Results-Cross-sectional data from 8144 individuals who underwent general health screening were analyzed.After adjusting for age, total cholesterol, and smoking status, the odds ratios (95% CI) of sex-specific quartiles of serum uric acid for metabolic syndrome were 1.0, 1.06 (0.60 to 1.87), 2.18 (1.30 to 3.64), and 4.17 (2.56 to 6.79) in women, and 1.0, 0.92 (0.74 to 1.14), 1.52 (1.25 to 1.65), and 1.97 (1.61 to 2.40) in men. After adjusting for age, serum levels, total cholesterol, and smoking status, prevalence of carotid plaque was higher in subjects in the second, third, and fourth quartiles of uric acid level with odds ratios (95% CI) of 1.24 (1.01 to 1.52), 1.37 (1.11 to 1.68), and 1.31 (1.05 to 1.63), respectively, in men without metabolic syndrome but not in men with metabolic syndrome or in women with or without metabolic syndrome. Conclusion-The prevalence of metabolic syndrome showed a graded increase according to serum uric acid values in both genders. In men who did not have metabolic syndrome, uric acid was found to be an independent risk factor for incidence of carotid plaque.

Metabolic syndrome and ambulatory arterial stiffness index in non-diabetic patients with primary hypertension

“…Subclinical, low-grade inflammation and hyperuricaemia are frequently associated with several components of MS as well as with functional and structural alterations of the arterial bed. [25][26][27][28][29][30] Nevertheless, in this study, the relationship between arterial stiffness and MS was independent of hs-CRP and uric acid. As for gender influence, patients with MS were more frequently male; however, AASI levels were higher in these patients regardless of gender.…”

Relationship between Serum Bilirubin and Carotid Atherosclerosis in Hypertensive Patients

“…They again found that the total bilirubin level was negatively associated with carotid plaque in men and women (9). Furthermore, the total bilirubin level was inversely correlated with metabolic syndrome (9). Recently, Erdogan et al (10) (2,13).…”

“…The same group of investigators later conducted a larger correlation study on 8,144 subjects who underwent a general health check-up (9). They again found that the total bilirubin level was negatively associated with carotid plaque in men and women (9).…”

“…Bilirubin is reported to possess antioxidant properties (7). In recent years, several studies have demonstrated that the total serum bilirubin level is negatively associated with carotid plaque in women and men (8)(9)(10) …”

Obesity and hepatitis B infection are associated with increased risk of metabolic syndrome in university freshmen

“…For example, the ORs for metabolic syndrome increase with the gender-specific quartiles of uric acid levels after adjusting for age, total cholesterol and smoking status in Japanese adults. 29 In a population-based study, Onat et al 30 have shown that the OR of metabolic syndrome is 1.89 using the top-versus-bottom tertile of uric acid level adjusting for possible confounders. In addition, uric acid is independently correlated with number of metabolic syndrome components.…”