Gender-specific relationship between serum uric acid level and atrial fibrillation prevalence.

BACKGROUND

Although various kinds of cardiovascular risk factors have been reported to be associated with atrial fibrillation (AF), the relationship between serum uric acid level and AF has not been fully examined.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Data were collected from a single hospital-based cohort in the Shinken Database 2004-2008 (n=11,123), and consisted of serum uric acid level for 7,155 patients. The association between serum uric acid level and AF prevalence was evaluated on logistic regression. Uric acid significantly increased the crude AF prevalence in both men and women (both, P<0.001). The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95%CI) in the highest tertile compared with the lowest one were 3.368 (2.478-4.578) and 1.408 (1.169-1.695) in women and men, respectively. Uric acid was also significantly associated with other various cardiovascular risk factors for AF. Even after the multivariate model was adjusted using these variables, the effect of uric acid on AF was independent in women (OR, 1.888; 95%CI: 1.278-2.790), but not in men.

CONCLUSIONS

Reflecting the composite of various cardiovascular risk factors, serum uric acid level was apparently associated with AF prevalence. The independent association in women might imply some sex-specific mechanisms. The results should be confirmed in prospective studies.