Association between uric acid to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio and abdominal aortic calcification: A...

The association between uric acid to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (UHR) and abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) is not fully understood. This study aimed to explore the potential association between UHR and AAC in adults older than 40 years.

In this cross-sectional study, data were collected from the 2013 to 2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). UHR equals uric acid (mg/dL) divided by high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (mg/dL). We used weighted multiple logistic regression or linear regression analysis to investigate the association between UHR and AAC. We conducted subgroup and interaction analyses to investigate whether these associations varied by different confounders. Receiver operating characteristic curve studies were used to compare the diagnostic power of the Framingham scoring model with the Framingham and UHR models for AAC and severe abdominal aortic calcification (SAAC). Sensitivity analyses were conducted to determine the robustness of the UHR and AAC association results.

The final evaluation covered 2294 participants older than 40 years (mean age: 59.01 years; 52.57% female). A 1-unit rise in the log-UHR led to a 0.80 increase in the AAC scores (β [95% CI]: 0.80 [0.46, 1.13]) and a 90% higher risk of AAC (odds ratio [OR] [95% CI]: 1.90 [1.42, 2.54]), and the risk of SAAC increased by 95% (OR [95% CI]:1.95 [1.37, 2.77]). Subgroup analyses showed that the association between log-UHR and AAC scores with SAAC varied by sex.

This study identified a positive association between UHR and AAC risk, whereas the association of UHR with AAC scores and SAAC was significant only in the female subgroup.