Serum uric acid levels threshold for mortality in diabetic individuals: The URic acid Right for heArt Health (URRAH) project

Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2022 May;32(5):1245-1252. doi: 10.1016/j.numecd.2022.01.028. Epub 2022 Feb 3.

Abstract

Background and aim: The URRAH (URic acid Right for heArt Health) Study has identified cut-off values of serum uric acid (SUA) predictive of total mortality at 4.7 mg/dl, and cardiovascular (CV) mortality at 5.6 mg/dl. Our aim was to validate these SUA thresholds in people with diabetes.

Methods and results: The URRAH subpopulation of people with diabetes was studied. All-cause and CV deaths were evaluated at the end of follow-up. A total of 2570 diabetic subjects were studied. During a median follow-up of 107 months, 744 deaths occurred. In the multivariate Cox regression analyses adjusted for several confounders, subjects with SUA ≥5.6 mg/dl had higher risk of total (HR: 1.23, 95%CI: 1.04-1.47) and CV mortality (HR:1.31, 95%CI:1.03-1.66), than those with SUA <5.6 mg/dl. Increased all-cause mortality risk was shown in participants with SUA ≥4.7 mg/dl vs SUA below 4.7 mg/dl, but not statistically significant after adjustment for all confounders.

Conclusions: SUA thresholds previously proposed by the URRAH study group are predictive of total and CV mortality also in people with diabetes. The threshold of 5.6 mg/dl can predict both total and CV mortality, and so is candidate to be a clinical cut-off for the definition of hyperuricemia in patients with diabetes.

Keywords: All-cause mortality; Cardiovascular mortality; Diabetes mellitus; Diagnostic thresholds; Hyperuricemia; Serum uric acid.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Diabetes Mellitus* / diagnosis
  • Humans
  • Hyperuricemia* / diagnosis
  • Risk Factors
  • Uric Acid

Substances

  • Uric Acid