Background/aim: There is still debate on the role of serum uric acid as an independent risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD), particularly premature CAD. This study aimed to investigate whether serum uric acid is a risk factor for premature CAD and whether it can influence the severity of coronary artery stenosis.
Methods: Candidates for coronary artery angiography (age <45 years for men and <55 years for women) who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled in this study. Clinical data of the patients as well as their serum uric acid levels were compared with the presence of premature CAD.
Results: In total, 473 patients were included and divided into two groups: the premature CAD group consisted of 245 patients (age = 46.2 ± 5.7 years; males = 110, 44.9%) and the normal coronary group consisted of 228 subjects (age = 45.7 ± 6.4 years; males = 62, 27.2%). Uric acid was significantly related to the presence of CAD, but this relationship was not significant after adjustment for confounding variables, including classic CAD risk factors. CAD patients were then categorized based on the extent of the disease (from minimal CAD to three-vessel disease); however, unlike the classic risk factors of CAD, uric acid was not significantly different between these groups (p = 0.10), and a similar result was observed after adjustment for confounders.
Conclusion: Uric acid is not an independent risk factor for premature CAD but is weakly correlated with the extent of the disease; nevertheless, this relationship requires further investigation.
Keywords: Cardiovascular risk factor; Coronary angiography; Premature coronary artery disease; Uric acid.