Hyperuricemia was significantly associated with left ventricular hypertrophy and lower vitamin D levels in a Saudi population, with serum uric acid and BMI identified as independent predictors of LVH.
The prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy was markedly higher in the hyperuricemic group compared to the non-hyperuricemic group.
A strong negative correlation was found between serum uric acid levels and vitamin D levels.
Serum uric acid and BMI were independently associated with left ventricular hypertrophy on multivariate logistic regression.
Patients with hyperuricemia had significantly worse metabolic profiles across multiple cardiovascular risk markers.
This research suggests that having high levels of uric acid in the blood (a condition called hyperuricemia, commonly associated with gout) is strongly linked to an enlarged heart muscle — specifically a condition called left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) — in Saudi Arabian adults. Among the 803 patients studied, those with hyperuricemia were far more likely to have LVH (43.5%) compared to those with normal uric acid levels (only 1.2%). Patients with high uric acid also tended to have higher blood sugar, cholesterol, triglycerides, and body weight, suggesting a cluster of interconnected cardiovascular and metabolic risks. The study also found that people with higher uric acid levels tended to have lower vitamin D levels, with a moderate-to-strong negative correlation between the two. However, when accounting for all variables together in a statistical model, only uric acid levels and BMI (body weight relative to height) were independently linked to the presence of LVH. Vitamin D, while correlated with uric acid, did not independently predict LVH on its own. This research suggests that monitoring uric acid levels could be a useful marker for identifying people at risk for heart complications, particularly in Middle Eastern populations where this relationship has been understudied. The findings also raise questions about whether the relationship between uric acid and vitamin D plays a role in cardiovascular disease development, though the current study cannot establish cause and effect due to its cross-sectional design.
Abdallah E, Elzorkany K, AlSahlawi M, Alruzaihan S, Alanbari R, Alessa F, et al.. (2026). Uric acid, vitamin D, and left ventricular hypertrophy: Unveiling cardiovascular risks - a retrospective cross-sectional study.. Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000049086