Elevated serum uric acid increases incident coronary artery calcification risk in Chinese adults undergoing health...

Coronary artery calcification is a key predictor of cardiovascular disease. However, the association between serum uric acid and incident coronary artery calcification remains controversial, and relevant evidence from Chinese populations is limited.

We conducted a retrospective cohort study including 6,996 participants without coronary artery calcification at baseline, as detected by low-dose chest computed tomography. Multivariable Cox regression was performed to assess the association between serum uric acid and the risk of incident coronary artery calcification.

During a median follow-up of 6.0 years, 560 participants (8.0%) developed incident coronary artery calcification. Each standard deviation increase in serum uric acid was independently associated with a higher risk of incident coronary artery calcification [hazard ratio (HR): 1.21, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.09-1.35, P < 0.001]. Participants with hyperuricemia also had a significantly higher risk compared with those with normal uric acid in the fully adjusted model (HR: 1.31, 95% CI: 1.08-1.58, P = 0.005). A linear dose-response association was observed between serum uric acid levels and the risk of incident coronary artery calcification.

This large Chinese cohort study provides new evidence that elevated serum uric acid is independently associated with an increased risk of incident coronary artery calcification, supporting the potential value of serum uric acid management in the early prevention of coronary atherosclerosis.