Serum uric acid, body fatness, and heart rate response to exercise

Serum uric acid was determined in 2298 males and 2237 females, age 10-64. Body fatness (sum of four skinfolds) and heart rate response to a modified Harvard Step Test were also measured in these subjects. Age and sex specific correlation coefficients between SUA and heart rate response to the standard exercise were low (about 0.15 on the average) but more than half were statistically significant. SUA was more closely related to body fatness than to heart rate response to exercise. Removing the effects of body fatness from the SUA - heart rate response correlations decreased these correlations so that only about one per cent of the variation in SUA among people is associated with one's physical fitness as reflected in heart rate response to exercise.