Uric acid affects susceptibility to dangerous heart disorders

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High uric acid levels increase the risk of dangerous heart disease – atrial fibrillation or atrial fibrillation.

Uric acid is a chemical produced when the body breaks down purines. These substances are found in large quantities in alcohol (especially beer), and in foods such as red meat, bacon, offal, and some seafood, including fish (sardines, herring). The problem of elevated uric acid levels is best known for its association with gout and kidney stones. However, researchers are increasingly saying that elevated uric acid levels are also associated with a predisposition to hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease. A recent study showed that excess uric acid affects the tendency to atrial fibrillation. This type of cardiac arrhythmia is one of the most common causes of stroke.Scientists have concluded that high levels of uric acid in middle age can significantly increase the risk of serious cardiac arrhythmia in subsequent decades, even in people who are not at risk.

The researchers analyzed data from more than 330,000 people collected over 26 years of observation. The subjects were aged 30 to 60 and had no cardiovascular disease at the time of inclusion. Their uric acid levels were measured using a blood test, and it turned out that the risk of atrial fibrillation in people became more significant as it increased.

“Elevated uric acid levels increased the risk of arrhythmia even in participants who did not develop high blood pressure, diabetes, coronary heart disease or heart failure during the observation period. This means that uric acid can act not only through cardiometabolic mechanisms, increasing the risk of atrial fibrillation, but also have a direct impact on the development of arrhythmia through other mechanisms,” the experts stated.

According to them, it is necessary to understand whether reducing uric acid levels can reduce the susceptibility to atrial fibrillation.