When you get a blood test, the first thing you’re likely to want
to know is, “what is my cholesterol?” But another marker, “uric
acid”, is also important for heart disease and overall health.
Uric acid is a metabolic byproduct of the liver’s breakdown of
protein, and is found on every blood chemistry test.

A recently reported clinical study assessed 1,423 middle-aged
Finnish men over an 11.9 year period. The researchers found that
uric acid levels in the upper third were associated with a
greater than 2.5-fold higher risk of death from cardiovascular
disease than levels in the lower third.

Men with serum uric acid levels in the upper third were 1.7-fold
more likely to die of any cause than men with levels in the lower
third.

Serum uric acid level is a strong predictor of cardiovascular
disease mortality in middle-aged men. Even if your uric acid is
“normal”, it could be at the high end of normal which would place
you in the zone of increased risk. If you have a blood test from
another doctor, bring it in at your next visit and we’ll review
your uric level with you.

Source: Niskanen LK, et al, Uric Acid Level As a Risk Factor for
Cardiovascular and All-Cause Mortality in Middle-Aged Men: A
Prospective Cohort Study, Arch Intern Med, 2004;164:1546-1551.