Korean J Fam Pract 2019; 9(1): 102-107  https://doi.org/10.21215/kjfp.2019.9.1.102
Correlation between Serum Uric Acid and Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in Korean Women
Jiin Jung, Sungmoon Cho, Deokhyun Shin, Jongwoo Kim*, Seon Yeong Lee, Kyunam Kim, Jeongki Paek
Department of Family Medicine, Sanggye Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
Jongwoo Kim, Tel: +82-2-950-1150, Fax: +82-2-950-4093, E-mail: s2700@paik.ac.kr, ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7317-8748
Received: July 19, 2018; Revised: October 24, 2018; Accepted: November 2, 2018; Published online: February 20, 2019.
© The Korean Academy of Family Medicine. All rights reserved.

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0) which permits unrestricted noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
Background: Serum uric acid (UA) has been found to be associated with hypertension, obesity, dyslipidemia, and metabolic syndrome; however, its role as an independent risk factor of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is still controversial. There have been very few studies reporting an association between UA levels and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), especially in women.
Methods: The study included 245 subjects whose CIMT was evaluated between February 2016 and December 2017 at a health promotion center. We divided the population into two groups on the basis of menopausal status: premenopausal women (n=78) and postmenopausal women (n=167). We measured blood pressure, serum lipid profile, fasting blood glucose (FBG), and creatinine and UA levels. CIMT was measured using high-resolution B-mode ultrasonography.
Results: UA levels and CIMT were higher in postmenopausal women (P=0.029, P<0.001). In premenopausal women, age (r=0.438), body mass index (r=0.373), UA (r=0.205), and FBG (r=0.336) were associated with CIMT, whereas in postmenopausal women, age (r=0.326), body mass index (r=0.167), UA (r=0.166), systolic blood pressure (r=0.200), and HDL-cholesterol (r=-0.140) were associated with CIMT. The UA level was independently associated with CIMT in premenopausal women (β=0.208, P=0.031), whereas age was the only factor independently associated with CIMT in postmenopausal women (β=0.253, P=0.002). Women in the highest tertile of uric acid level exhibited a higher CIMT than did those in the lowest tertile after age adjustment (P for trend <0.001).
Conclusion: UA may be an independent risk factor for CIMT, suggesting that UA is a risk factor for the early detection of CVD, especially in premenopausal women.
Keywords: Uric Acid; Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; Menopause; Women
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