Elevated uric acid levels may boost the risk of heart complications, even when within normal limits.
A new study conducted by researchers at the Halle University Medical Center has found a correlation between uric acid concentration in blood serum and vascular stiffness, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The study analysed over 70,000 data sets from the NAKO Health Study and measured vascular stiffness using pulse wave velocity.
The findings of the study indicate a stronger effect of uric acid on vascular stiffness in women. This correlation was more pronounced in women than in men, leading to the recommendation to reevaluate the current uric acid limits. The study found that high uric acid levels significantly increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
The Halle University Medical Center suggests that uric acid, even at levels considered safe, may be a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. The study's findings do not suggest a direct cause-and-effect relationship between uric acid and cardiovascular diseases, but rather a correlation.
The study questions the current uric acid limits, which are 140-360 µmol/l for women and 180-420 µmol/l for men. The scientists suggest that preventive therapy with uric acid-lowering medications could be considered even at 'normal' levels, particularly for women with additional cardiovascular risk factors.
Additional studies further reinforce uric acid as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, especially in high-risk groups such as those with metabolic syndrome, hyperlipidemia, and postmenopausal women. Elevated uric acid has been linked to endothelial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and inflammation that contribute to cardiovascular pathology.
In stroke patients, hyperuricemia was also associated with increased all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, and inflammation partly mediates this risk. These converging lines of evidence support rethinking and potentially lowering the uric acid thresholds considered 'safe' to better prevent vascular aging and cardiovascular disease.
In summary, the evidence collectively supports a reevaluation of uric acid limits, especially for women, to better mitigate cardiovascular risk. However, a definitive cause-effect relationship remains to be fully established, and clinical guidelines may await further confirmatory trials.
[1] Halle University Medical Center, (2022). Uric Acid Levels and Cardiovascular Risk: A New Perspective. [2] Xu, J., et al., (2019). Uric acid and the risk of cardiovascular disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 74(15), 1660-1673. [3] Zhang, Y., et al., (2018). Hyperuricemia and the risk of cardiovascular disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, 25(12), 1345-1358. [4] Li, J., et al., (2020). Hyperuricemia and the risk of cardiovascular disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Lipids in Health and Disease, 19(1), 1-14.
Women, particularly those with additional cardiovascular risk factors, might need to reevaluate their uric acid levels, which have been identified as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. This new perspective on uric acid and cardiovascular health requires further confirmatory trials to establish a definitive cause-effect relationship.
In light of the findings from the Halle University Medical Center, preventive therapy with uric acid-lowering medications could be considered, even at 'normal' levels, for women aiming to mitigate their cardiovascular risks.
