Lack of association between serum uric acid levels and outcome in acute ischemic stroke

Background: The prognostic value of serum uric acid (UA) in acute ischemic stroke is controversial. The aim of this study is to further analyse the relation between UA and outcome after acute ischemic stroke. Methods: We analysed UA levels in blood samples collected within 6 h of stroke onset from patients included in the placebo arm of the US and Canadian Lubeluzole Ischemic Stroke Study (LUB-INT-9). We compared mean serum UA levels in patients with and without early neurological improvement (>= 4 versus Results: UA levels of 226 patients were available for analysis. Mean serum UA levels were not significantly higher in patients with than without early neurological improvement (0.33 mmol/L versus 0.30 mmol/L, p = 0.070). The difference between patients with good and patients with poor functional outcome was borderline statistically significant (0.34 mmol/L versus 0.31 mmol/L, p = 0.050). After adjustment for confounders, higher serum UA levels were neither associated with early neurological improvement OR (1.30, 95% CI 0.98-1.73, p = 0.069), nor with a good functional outcome (OR 1.09, 95% CI 0.72-1.65, p = 0.690). Conclusion: We found no association between admission serum UA levels and both short- and long-term outcome in acute ischemic stroke. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved