The role of serum uric acid in predicting left ventricular function and outcomes in patients with STEMI following PCI

Objectives: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is the preferred treatment for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI); however, reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) remains a critical issue post-PCI. Serum uric acid (SUA) has emerged as a biomarker linked to cardiovascular events and may be associated with LVEF. This study aims to investigate the relationship between SUA levels and LVEF in STEMI patients treated with primary PCI and identify potential biomarkers for predicting patient outcomes. Methods: This prospective study was conducted at Afshar Hospital, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences of Yazd, from September 2019 to March 2021. Participants included 254 consecutive ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients undergoing primary PCI. Exclusion criteria were contraindications for angiography, history of myocardial infarction, PCI, CABG, NSTEMI, thrombolytic treatment, kidney diseases, gout, or alcoholism. Demographic data, clinical history, SUA levels, and echocardiographic parameters were collected. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 20.0, with significance at p<0.05. Results: 81.49% of patients were male, with a mean age of 57.7±11.47 years. Hypertension was the most prevalent condition (42.9%). SUA levels did not significantly differ between patients with LVEF below and above 40% (p=0.39). However, smoking was significantly associated with reduced LVEF (p<0.001). A weak negative correlation between SUA and LVEF was observed in males (p=0.012) but not in females (p=0.097). Overall, a weak negative correlation between SUA and LVEF was statistically significant (p=0.05). Conclusions: Our findings revealed a weak but statistically significant overall negative correlation between SUA and EF. Further research with larger, more diverse populations is necessary to elucidate the relationship between SUA and cardiac function in STEMI patients.