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The Relationship between Uric Acid and Homocysteine Levels based on Alcohol-related Facial Flushing

The Relationship between Uric Acid and Homocysteine Levels based on Alcohol-related Facial Flushing

Article information

Korean J Health Promot. 2015;15(3):91-97
Publication date (electronic) : 2015 December 19
doi : https://doi.org/10.15384/kjhp.2015.15.3.91
1Health Promotion Center, Daejeon St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Daejeon, Korea
2Department of Family Medicine, Chungnam National University Hospital, Chungnam National University School of Medicine, Daejeon, Korea
3Department of Family Medicine, Chungnam National University School of Medicine, Daejeon, Korea
4Department of Family Medicine, Daejeon Veterans Hospital, Daejeon, Korea
■ Corresponding author:Jong Sung Kim, MD, PhD Department of Family Medicine, Chungnam National University Hospital, Chungnam National University School of Medicine, 282 Munhwa-ro, Jung-gu, Daejeon 35015, Korea Tel: +82-42-280-8172, Fax: +82-42-280-7879 E-mail: jskim@cnuh.co.kr
Received 2015 April 23; Accepted 2015 September 15.

Abstract

Background

This study aimed to determine the correlation between blood uric acid and homocysteine levels, based on alcohol-related facial flushing.

Methods

Among male adults who visited a health examination center of a university hospital located in Daejeon, Korea, for a personal health examination from March 2013 to February 2014, 702 subjects were analyzed including 401 subjects without alcohol-related facial flushing and 301 with facial flushing. Pearson’s correlation and stepwise multivariate linear regression analyses were performed between the log homocysteine levels and other variables including uric acid.

Results

Uric acid showed a significant positive correlation with log homocysteine (γ =0.166, P=0.001) (ß=0.176; P=0.001) in the non-flushing group. In contrast, none of the variables showed any significant correlations with log homocysteine in the flushing group.

Conclusions

Alcohol users not exhibiting alcohol-related facial flushing showed a positive correlation between uric acid and homocysteine levels, whereas those without facial flushing showed no such correlation.

Characteristics of study subjectsa

Correlations between log homocysteine and other variables (non adjusted)

Log homocysteine by amount of alcohol

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Article information Continued

Table 1.

Characteristics of study subjectsa

Non-flushing group (n=401) Flushing group (n=301)
Age, y 51.2±9.5 51.7±9.4
Body mass index, kg/m2 25.2±3.2 25.3±2.8
Hypertension 92 (22.9) 69 (22.9)
Diabetes 25 (6.2) 25 (8.3)
Current-smoking 236 (58.9) 165 (54.8)
Drinking amount, drinks/wk 12.5 (4.0-20.0)b 7.5 (2.3-19.8)b
Uric acid, mg/dL 6.4±1.3 6.3±1.3
Homocysteine, μmol/L 11.5 (9.8-13.4) 11.7 (10.3-13.3)
Total-cholesterol, mg/dL 195.8±35.6 191.8±35.8
LDL-C, mg/dL 111.5±30.5 110.0±30.1
HDL-C, mg/dL 48.0 (42.0-54.0)c 46.0 (40.0-52.0)c
Triglyceride, mg/dL 144.0 (95.5-206.0) 138.0 (98.5-202.5)
AST, mg/dL 23.0 (19.0-28.0) 23.0 (20.0-30.0)
ALT, mg/dL 26.0 (20.0-35.0) 27.0 (20.0-39.0)
γ-GTP, mg/dL 31.0 (19.5-60.5) 33.0 (20.0-58.0)
eGFR, mL/min/1.73 m2 92.1 (82.9-104.1) 92.1 (82.6-103.8)

Abbreviations: AST, aspartate aminotransferase; ALT, alanine aminotransferase; γ-GTP, gamma-glutamyl transferase; eGFR, estimated glomerular filtration rate; HDL-C, high density lipoprotein cholesterol; LDL-C, low density lipoprotein cholesterol.

a

Values are presented as N (%) or mean±SD or median expression (interquartile range).

b

<0.001, analysis with Mann-Whitney test or chi-square test (1 drink=alcohol 14 g).

c

<0.05, analysis with Mann-Whitney test or chi-square test.

Table 2.

Correlations between log homocysteine and other variables (non adjusted)

Non-flushing group (n=401) Flushing group (n=301)
r r
Age 0.070 0.043
BMI -0.064 -0.093
Total cholesterol 0.111a 0.019
LDL-C 0.088 -0.004
Log HDL-C 0.068 -0.013
Log TG -0.024 0.045
Uric acid 0.166b 0.087
Log AST 0.038 0.052
Log ALT Log r-GTP -0.055 0.091 -0.085 -0.014

Abbreviations: r, correlation coefficient; BMI, body mass index; AST, aspartate aminotransferase; ALT, alanine aminotransferase; γ -GTP, gamma-glutamyl transferase; HDL-C, high density lipoprotein cholesterol; LDL-C, low density lipoprotein cholesterol; TG, triglyceride.

a

<0.05 analysis of variance with Pearson’s correlation test.

b

<0.01 analysis of variance with Pearson’s correlation test.

Table 3.

Log homocysteine by amount of alcohol

Drinks/wk Non-flushing group (n) Flushing group (n)
≥0.5, <4 2.5±0.3 (84) 2.5±0.2 (102)
≥4, <8 ≥8 2.5±0.2 (70) 2.5±0.3 (247) 2.5±0.3 (62) 2.5±0.2 (137)

Values are presented as mean±SD.