Uric acid and uric acid/creatinine ratio and their correlations with the hemorheological determinants in subjects with subclinical carotid atherosclerosis

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Caimi, Gregorio^{a; 1; *} | Urso, Caterina^b | Brucculeri, Salvatore^b | Amato, Corrado^c | Lo Presti, Rosalia^{d; 2} | Carlisi, Melania^{a; 3}

Affiliations: [a] Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy | [b] Fondazione Istituto “G. Giglio” Cefalú, Palermo, Italy | [c] Department of Health Promotion and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, Universitá degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo, Italy | [d] Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author: Gregorio Caimi, Via Leonardo Da Vinci, 52, 90145, Palermo, Italy. E-mails: gregorio.caimi@unipa.it; gregoriocaimi2@gmail.com.

Note: [1] ORCID: 0000-0001-8964-255X

Note: [2] ORCID: 0000-0002-7491-568X

Note: [3] ORCID: 0000-0002-5641-2974

Abstract: BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:we have examined the concentration of serum uric acid and the serum uric acid/creatinine ratio as well as their correlations with the main determinants of the hemorheological profile in a group of subjects with subclinical carotid atherosclerosis. METHODS:we evaluated the concentration of serum uric acid and the serum uric acid/creatine ratio in 43 men and 57 women [median age 66.00 (25)] with subclinical carotid atherosclerosis, subsequently divided according to the number of traditional cardiovascular risk factors and to the insulin resistance degree. RESULTS:serum uric acid, but not the serum uric acid/creatinine ratio, results strongly influenced by the number of cardiovascular risk factors and by the insulin resistance degree. In the whole group and in the subgroups of subclinical carotid atherosclerosis subjects, serum uric acid and serum uric acid/creatinine ratio show significant correlation, besides with whole blood viscosity, with plasma viscosity and erythrocyte aggregation. The influence of the serum uric acid on the erythrocyte aggregability that is a part of the erythrocyte aggregation is to ascribe to the action carried out by serum uric acid on the erythrocyte zeta potential. CONCLUSIONS:it is reasonable to think that the treatment of the asymptomatic or symptomatic hyperuricemia with the urate-lowering therapy that reduces the serum uric acid concentration may reflect on the hemorheological profile which role on the atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is well known.

Keywords: Uric acid, uric acid to creatinine ratio, hemorheological determinants, cardiovascular risk factors, insulin resistance, urate-lowering therapy

DOI: 10.3233/CH-211322

Journal: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. 81, no. 1, pp. 47-55, 2022