Uric Acid as a Predictor of In-Hospital Mortality in Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Meta-analysis

Uric acid (UA) is generalized as a byproduct the terminal steps of purine catabolism, which are catalyzed by xanthine oxidoreductase. Xanthine oxidase activity and uric acid synthesis are reported to be increased under tissue ischemia. Therefore, elevated uric acid may act as a prognostic marker of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). A few studies have showed that UA is associated with therapeutic outcomes in patients with acute myocardial infarction. The purpose of this meta-analysis is to evaluate the prognostic significance of the UA as a predictor of in-hospital mortality. We performed a systematic review and included studies that used both UA and in-hospital mortality from Embase and PubMed. Six studies have been included in this review with totally 5,686 patients. During the follow-up, high UA level was found to be associated with an increased risk of in-hospital mortality [risk ratios (RR) 2.10 (1.03–4.26), number needed to harm (NNH) 37], MACE [RR 3.44 (2.33–5.08), NNH 17]. High UA level has the potential to be an important prognostic marker for in-hospital mortality in individuals with AMI.