Serum Uric Acid and Pulse Wave Velocity Among Healthy Adults: Baseline Data From the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil)

BACKGROUND We aimed to evaluate a possible association between serum uric acid (SUA) levels and carotid-to-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV) among healthy participants of the ELSA-Brasil. METHODS We excluded subjects using antihypertensive medication, diuretics, allopurinol, binge drinkers, body mass index (BMI) >35 kg/m(2), and those with history of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). In a cross-sectional and sex-specific analysis, linear regression models were built having cf-PWV as dependent variable and SUA as independent variable. Multiple adjustments were subsequently made for age, heart rate and blood pressure, BMI, and fasting glucose levels as covariates. Product interaction terms were built to test interaction between SUA and other covariates. RESULTS We analyzed 1,875 men and 1,713 women (mean ages, 48.9 +/- 8.4 and 50.2 +/- 8.7 years, respectively). SUA was linearly associated with cf-PWV in men (P = 0.01) and in women (P = 0.01). After full adjustment, the association remained significant for men (P = 0.01) and no longer significant for women (P = 0.10). Fully adjusted linear coefficients beta (95% CI) were 0.06 (0.015; 0.112) and 0.04 (-0.01; 0.12) in men and women, respectively. Significant interaction between SUA and age (P = 0.02) fasting glucose (P < 0.01) and BMI (P = 0.02) was found only for women. CONCLUSION In an apparently healthy population, SUA was significantly associated to cf-PWV in men but not in women.