A Mendelian randomization study of serum uric acid in metabolic and cardiovascular risk in East Asian populations

Serum uric acid (SUA) levels are linked to increased disease vulnerability and higher recurrence rates; however, the exact causal relationships are elusive. Despite the prevalent hyperuricemia in East Asian populations, comprehensive research on the intricate association between SUA levels and disease is lacking. To address this, a study utilizing a 2-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) approach was conducted in East Asian populations. This study utilized MR to explore the correlation between SUA levels and various disorders, employing data from genome-wide association studies and multiple independent single-nucleotide polymorphism. Multiple single-nucleotide polymorphisms were applied to assess the causal relationship between SUA and other diseases. Methodologies encompassed inverse-variance weighting, MR-Egger regression, and weighted median analysis. This study revealed that SUA increases the risk of coronary artery disease (β = 0.197 mm, 95% CI: 0.084-0.31 mm, P = .001) but decreases the risk of rheumatoid arthritis (β = -0.172 mm, 95% CI: -0.302 to -0.043 mm, P = .009). It also increases diastolic blood pressure, serum creatinine, eosinophil count, relative wall thickness, posterior wall thickness, and interventricular septum thickness and decreases high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and the estimated glomerular filtration rate. These findings suggest that SUA may be a potential risk factor for certain diseases. Research indicates a strong correlation between SUA and illnesses, particularly metabolism and rheumatoid arthritis, in East Asians. This study underscores the necessity of monitoring SUA levels to prevent further illnesses and prompt action to address the growing burden of SUA in the East Asian populations.