Serum uric acid: an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease in Pakistani Punjabi patients

Background: It is well known that serum uric acid (SUA) can increase the risk of hypertension, diabetes, obesity and dyslipidemia. However, its independent association with the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) is controversial particularly in different populations. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate an independent association of SUA with CVD risk in a Punjabi Pakistani cohort. Methods: For this, total 502 human subjects with/without hyperuricemia along with CVD, hypertension and/or diabetes were enrolled. Biochemical parameters including SUA were analyzed in the serum. SPSS was used to assess the role of SUA in increasing the risk of CVD independent of other key confounding factors like age, gender, dyslipidemia, hypertension, diabetes, dietary habits and life style was also assessed. Results: SUA levels were significantly different among different forms of CVD (ACS, MI and CCF). Spearman correlation showed a significantly positive association between CVD and SUA (rho = 0.149, p <0.001). Multivariate logistic regression of SUA quartiles showed that hyperuricemia is associated with CVD [3rd quartile: OR 1.78 (CI: 1.28-2.48) p = 0.001 and 4th quartile: [OR 2.37 (CI: 1.72-3.27) p<0.001]. Moreover, this association remained significant even after adjusting for confounding factors. Conclusion: This study showed that SUA is positively associated with CVD, thus it can act as an independent risk factor for CVD.