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Higher serum uric acid levels may protect bone density
Higher bone mineral density was linked to higher serum uric acid levels, and the higher levels may be a protective factor in bone metabolism.
Interactions increased with age and vitamin C, according to the findings.
Fernando Rivadeneira, MD, PhD, of the department of internal medicine at Erasmus Medical Center in the Netherlands, and colleagues evaluated data from The Rotterdam Study on 5,074 adults aged 55 years and older to determine links between uric acid, BMD at the femoral neck (mean age, 69 years), hip bone geometry parameters (mean age, 68 years) and incident fracture risk (mean age, 70 years) and whether these relationships were modified by age and vitamin C intake.
Associations were found between serum uric acid levels and higher femoral neck BMD (P = .0001), thicker cortices (P = .014), lower bone width (P = .008) and lower cortical buckling ratio (P = .005).
The HRs per standard deviation increase of baseline serum uric acid level were 0.925 (95% CI, 0.86-0.995) for the development of any type of incident fracture, 0.924 (95% CI, 0.856-0.998) for nonvertebral fractures and 0.905 (95% CI, 0.838-0.977) for osteoporotic fractures. The relationships were stronger among participants aged 65 years and older and those with high intakes of vitamin C.
“In this large prospective population-based cohort of elderly men and women, serum [uric acid] levels were shown to have protective effects on BMD, favorable configuration of hip bone geometry and lower fracture risk,” the researchers wrote. “Additional studies are warranted to establish causality, the precise mechanisms of action, and to give more insight into the interplay of [uric acid] with age and intake of vitamin C as determinants of bone health and disease.” – by Amber Cox
Disclosure: Rivadeneira reports no relevant financial disclosures. Please see the full study for a list of all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.