Serum uric acid and left ventricular mass index independently predict cardiovascular mortality: The uric acid right for heart health (URRAH) project.

• A relationship between serum uric acid and cardiovascular events has been documented in the Uric Acid Right for Heart Health (URRAH) study. • In this analysis serum uric acid was independently associated with left ventricular mass index in both men and women. • A significantly higher incidence of CV death was observed in men with hyperuricemia without left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), LVH without hyperuricemia and their combination as compared with those with normal serum uric acid and normal cardiac mass. A poorer survival rate was reported in women with LVH alone and the combination of hyperuricemia and LVH but not with hyperuricemia alone. • The combination of hyperuricemia with LVH is an independent and powerful predictor for CV death both in men and women. A relationship between serum uric acid (SUA) and cardiovascular (CV) events has been documented in the Uric Acid Right for Heart Health (URRAH) study. of this study was to investigate the association between SUA and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) and whether SUA and LVMI or their combination may predict the incidence of CV death. Subjects with echocardiographic measurement of LVMI included in the URRAH study (n=10733) were part of this analysis. LV hypertrophy (LVH) was defined as LVMI > 95 g/m2 in women and 115 g/m2 in men. A significant association between SUA and LVMI was observed in multiple regression analysis in men: beta 0,095, F 5.47, P < 0.001 and women: beta 0,069, F 4.36, P <0.001. During follow-up 319 CV deaths occurred. Kaplan–Meier curves showed a significantly poorer survival rate in subjects with higher SUA (> 5.6 mg/dl in men and 5.1 mg/dl in women) and LVH (log-rank chi-square 298.105; P <0.0001). At multivariate Cox regression analysis in women LVH alone and the combination of higher SUA and LVH but not hyperuricemia alone, were associated with a higher risk of CV death, while in men hyperuricemia without LVH, LVH without hyperuricemia and their combination were all associated with a higher incidence of CV death. Our findings demonstrate that SUA is independently associated with LVMI and suggest that the combination of hyperuricemia with LVH is an independent and powerful predictor for CV death both in men and women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]