Serum uric acid levels in relation to bone-related phenotypes in men and women

Serum uric acid levels have recently been found to be associated with bone mineral density (BMD) in elderly males. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between bone-related phenotypes and serum uric acid levels in young and middle-aged males and females. Subjects consisted of 1320 males and 485 females aged 25-54. yr. Bone densitometry and quantitative ultrasonometry (QUS) were performed on each subject. Serum uric acid and biochemical markers of bone turnover were measured in fasting serum samples. When adjusted for covariates including age, body weight, and serum creatinine in multiple linear regression models, it was found that there was a positive association between uric acid levels and BMD in males at the lumbar spine (p< 0.05). The association between uric acid levels and BMD was found in females after controlling for age, body weight, and serum creatinine at the femoral neck, but in the opposite direction (p< 0.05). Uric acid levels were related to the stiffness index (SI) as assessed by QUS in males, independent of age, body weight, and serum creatinine (p< 0.05). No association between uric acid and SI in females was found. The present study demonstrated a positive association in males between serum uric acid levels and BMD, and SI from QUS, suggesting a beneficial influence of uric acid on both the quantity and quality of bone in males.