Hyperuricaemia and risk of cardiovascular disease and overall death. A 12-year follow-up of participants in the population study of women in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Serum uric concentration was determined in a series of 1462 women, aged 38-60 when first examined in 1968-69, as the first phase of a longitudinal population study in Gothenburg, Sweden. Serum uric acid concentration was positively correlated to the 12-year overall mortality in univariate analysis. No relationship was observed between initial serum uric acid values and incidence of myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, ECG changes indicating ischaemic heart disease or stroke. The association between serum uric acid concentration and mortality was independent of age, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, adipose tissue distribution, smoking habits, serum cholesterol concentration, serum triglyceride concentration, serum creatinine concentration, serum calcium concentration, use of diuretics, and haematological disease. The increased mortality could not be explained by any increase in malignant neoplastic disease.