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Association between uric acid and aortic aneurysms: A two-sample Mendelian randomization study
Tuo Xu1, Yongkang Wu1, Changwei Zheng1
1Department of Vascular and Thyroid Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang City, Guangdong, P.R. China.
Clinical and Experimental Hypertension (New York, N.Y. : 1993)
|August 14, 2025
Summary
Elevated uric acid (UA) levels are linked to increased aortic aneurysm (AA) risk in both European and Asian populations. This suggests UA may be a significant risk factor for AA development.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Genetics
- Metabolic Disease Research
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Aortic aneurysms (AAs) are life-threatening vascular conditions with complex etiologies.
- Uric acid (UA) is a metabolic byproduct, and its role in AA pathogenesis is not fully understood.
- Mendelian randomization (MR) offers a powerful approach to investigate causal relationships using genetic variants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the potential causal effect of genetically predicted uric acid (UA) levels on the risk of aortic aneurysms (AAs).
- To assess this association across different ancestral populations, specifically European and Asian.
- To provide evidence for UA as a modifiable risk factor for AA prevention.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Mendelian randomization (MR) with summary statistics from large genome-wide association studies (GWAS).
- Data sources included UK Biobank (UKB) and Biobank Japan Project (BBJ) for UA and gout.
- Employed multiple MR methods (IVW, weighted median, MR-Egger, MR-PRESSO) for robust causal inference.
Main Results:
- Inverse variance weighted (IVW) analysis revealed a significant association between higher UA levels and increased AAA risk in Europeans (OR=1.315).
- A similar positive association was observed in the Asian population (OR=1.393).
- Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of these findings, indicating minimal bias.
Conclusions:
- Genetically predicted higher uric acid (UA) levels are causally associated with an increased risk of aortic aneurysms (AAs).
- Serum UA levels may represent a potential risk factor for AA development.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the precise mechanisms linking UA to AAs and to explore clinical interventions.
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