Background and aims: Hyperuricemia is independently associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and is considered to be one of the major risk factors for CVD. However, the impact of inter-visit uric acid (UA) variability on cardiovascular risk remains undetermined.
Methods: We enrolled 3202 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), who received successful coronary intervention, in a cohort from Taipei Veterans General Hospital from 2006 to 2015. All post-baseline visits UA measurements using standard deviation (SD) were analyzed to correlate with long-term outcome. The primary outcome was the composite of cardiac death, nonfatal MI, nonfatal stroke (MACE). The secondary event was MACE and hospitalization for heart failure.
Results: During an average 65.06 ± 32.1-month follow-up, there were 66 cardiovascular deaths, 175 nonfatal myocardial infarctions, 64 nonfatal strokes, 287 hospitalizations for heart failure, and 683 revascularization procedures. There was a linear association between high UA SD and future adverse events. Compared to the lowest quartile SD, subjects in the highest quartile SD had a higher risk of MACE (HR: 2.53, 95% CI: 1.78-3.59), myocardial infarction (HR: 2.43, 95% CI: 1.53-3.86), cardiovascular death (HR: 6.45, 95% CI: 2.52-16.55), heart failure-related hospitalization (HR: 3.43, 95% CI: 2.32-5.05), and total major CV events (HR: 2.72, 95% CI: 2.09-3.56). Furthermore, compared to the average achieved on-treatment UA value, increasing UA SD had a stronger association of higher risk of developing MACE (HR: 1.51, 95% CI: 1.36-1.68), myocardial infarction (HR: 1.37, 95% CI: 1.38-1.68), ischemic stroke (HR: 1.43, 95% CI: 1.13-1.82), CV death (HR: 1.77, 95% CI: 1.50-2.11), HF (HR: 1.43, 95% CI: 1.29-1.58), and total major CV events (HR: 1.46, 95% CI: 1.34-1.58).
Conclusions: High UA variability is associated with a higher risk of developing future cardiovascular events, suggesting the importance of maintaining stable serum UA levels and avoiding large fluctuations in CAD patients after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).
Keywords: Coronary artery disease; Hyperuricemia; Inter-visit uric acid variability; Major adverse cardiovascular events; Mortality.
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