Relationship of plasma uric acid to plasma lipids and lipoproteins in subjects with peripheral vascular disease.

Hyperuricaemia and hyperlipidaemia (elevated fasting plasma cholesterol or triglycerides) were frequently found in 219 males and 63 females with peripheral vascular disease (PVD). The subjects were divided into sexes and the uric acid, cholesterol and triglyceride concentration adjusted for the effects of age and obesity by multiple regression analysis. Followig this no significant relationship was found between uric acid and cholesterol or triglyceride. When the males with PVD were divided into lipoprotein types it was found that those who were normo-lipoproteinaemics or who had type IV hyperlipoproteinaemia (HLP) had a significantly higher mean uric acid level. The other types had a mean uric acid concentration similar to that found in 25 healthy normolipoproteinaemic males. The discrepancy between this result and the lack of correlation between uric acid and triglyceride noted above is presumably due to the complex effects of age and obesity. In the females no significant increase in the mean uric acid concentration was found in any of the lipoprotein groups.