Association between uric acid to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio and peripheral arterial disease in hypertensive patients: A cohort study

Background and aims: Uric acid (UA) to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio (UHR) is a new indicator of inflammation and metabolism proposed by recent researches. Previous researches have confirmed a positive association between UHR and the risk of cardiovascular death. However, it is undetermined that the association between UHR and peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Methods and results: The research is a prospective cohort study that included a total of 6,867 participants from the Chinese Hypertension Registry Study. 328 participants were identified with PAD during a median follow-up period of 48 months. Multiple logistic regression analysis and smooth curve fitting were applied to explore the association between UHR and PAD among men and women. After adjusting for potential confounders, UHR was positively associated with PAD both in men (HR: 1.27, 95 % CI: 1.07-1.51) and women (HR: 1.45, 95 % CI: 1.19-1.77). Subgroup analyses showed that the association between UHR and PAD remained stable across subgroups of men and women (all P for interaction >0.05). Conclusions: There is a significant positive association between UHR and new-onset PAD in the Chinese hypertensive population both in men and women. An elevated UHR predicted increased risk of PAD.