Correlation analysis between serum uric acid and carotid intima-media thickness: a cross sectional study

This study aims to investigate the association between serum uric acid (UA) and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) in adults undergoing routine health screenings.

Clinical data from 375 participants (mean age: 64.26 ± 9.97 years; 48.53% male) who underwent health examinations at Jining Medical University Affiliated Hospital (January 2022-January 2023) were analyzed. ​Generalized additive models and piecewise linear regression were used to evaluate linear/non-linear relationships and threshold effects.

The study included a total of 375 individuals, with an average age of 64.26 ± 9.97 years. The participants consisted of 48.53% males. After adjusting for confounding factors (age, sex, BMI, etc.), a non-linear relationship between UA and CIMT was identified. The threshold occurred at UA = 3.15 mg/dL. ​When UA ≥ 3.15 mg/dL, each 1 mg/dL increase in UA was associated with a 0.061 mm increase in CIMT (β = 0.061, 95% CI: 0.031-0.090, p < 0.0001). No significant association was observed when UA < 3.15 mg/dL (β = -0.002, 95% CI: -0.033-0.030, p = 0.9240).

The study demonstrates a non-linear relationship between UA and CIMT in the health screening population. UA levels ≥3.15 mg/dL are positively correlated with increased CIMT, suggesting that elevated UA may promote carotid atherosclerosis progression.