Objective: To investigate the relationship between serum uric acid (UA) level and lower extremity arterial disease (LEAD) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) subjects.
Methods: A total of 2174 T2DM individuals (1228 males, 946 females) were investigated. The case history, physical examination and biochemical tests were conducted. And LEAD was diagnosed by high-resolution ultrasound.
Results: In women, the serum UA levels with LEAD was significantly higher than that without LEAD [(304 +/- 76) micromol/L vs (287 +/- 71) micromol/L, P < 0.01], but not in men [(332 +/- 76) micromol/L vs (328 +/- 77) micromol/L, P = 0.45]. The subjects were divided into 4 groups (groups A, B, C, D) according to sex-specific quartiles of serum UA levels (< 240 micromol/L, 240 - 284 micromol/L, 285 - 340 micromol/L and >or= 341 micromol/L in women and< 275 micromol/L, 275 - 322 micromol/L, 323 - 377 micromol/L and >or= 378 micromol/L in men). In women, the prevalence of LEAD of 4 groups were 38.56%, 44.02%, 47.54% and 50.00% respectively (P < 0.01). And the prevalence of LEAD in groups C and D was significantly higher than that in group A (P < 0.05). But in men there was no significant difference between 4 groups. After adjusting for age, duration of diabetes mellitus, smoking status, systolic blood pressure, body mass index, total cholesterol, triglyceride and C reactive protein, the serum UA levels in women was an independent risk factor associated with the prevalence of LEAD. And the odds ratios (95%CI) of sex-specific quartiles of serum UA were 1.0, 1.25 (0.87 to 1.81), 1.44 (1.01 to 2.08) and 1.59 (1.10 to 2.30) respectively.
Conclusion: The increase of serum UA levels is associated with LEAD in women, in addition to age, duration of diabetes mellitus, smoking status, systolic blood pressure, body mass index, total cholesterol, triglyceride and C reactive protein. Serum UA levels is an independent risk factor of LEAD in women diabetics.