Table 2.
Characteristics of the participants by quartiles of UA.
| N | UA1 | UA2 | UA3 | UA4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 342 | 343 | 341 | 339 | |
| Age (year) | 56.5 ± 10.1 | 55.8 ± 10.9 | 55.3 ± 10.8 | 54.5 ± 11.5* |
| Sex-related hormones | ||||
| TT (nmol/L) | 18.9 ± 6.7 | 17.8 ± 6.0* | 16.8 ± 5.8* | 15.2 ± 5.8* |
| FSH (IU/L) | 8.9 ± 7.3 | 9.1 ± 6.0 | 8.4 ± 6.2 | 8.0 ± 6.2* |
| LH (IU/L) | 6.5 ± 3.4 | 6.5 ± 3.1 | 6.2 ± 3.4 | 6.1 ± 3.2 |
| SHBG (nmol/L) | 54.0 ± 26.1 | 48.3 ± 21.9* | 43.2 ± 18.6* | 37.8 ± 19.1* |
| FAI (%) | 39.3 ± 12.3 | 40.9 ± 12.9 | 43.3 ± 14.5** | 47.8 ± 17.3** |
| Metabolic factors | ||||
| HbA1c (%) | 6.2 ± 1.4 | 5.9 ± 1.0* | 5.9 ± 0.8* | 5.9 ± 0.8* |
| FPG (mmol/L) | 6.0 ± 2.1 | 5.6 ± 1.5 | 5.5 ± 1.2 | 5.6 ± 1.2 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 24.4 ± 3.0 | 25.1 ± 2.7** | 25.8 ± 2.9** | 26.6 ± 3.2** |
| Diabetes (%) | 26.9 | 17.7* | 14.9* | 17.9* |
| SBP (mmHg) | 135.1 ± 20.8 | 137.2 ± 20.9 | 136.7 ± 20.5 | 137.9 ± 19.6 |
| DBP (mmHg) | 82.3 ± 13.0 | 85.1 ± 13.0** | 85.2 ± 13.7** | 86.3 ± 12.5** |
| ED (%) | 67.2 | 62.6 | 59.8* | 59.7* |
The quartile ranges of UA were ≤ 289 μmol/L (UA1), 290–341 μmol/L (UA2), 342–396 μmol/L (UA3) and ≥397 μmol/L (UA4).
The data were summarized as the mean ± standard deviation for continuous variables, or as number with proportion for categorical variables. The Mann–Whitney U test was used for non-normally distributed continuous variables, and the Pearson χ2 test was used for dichotomous variables.
*P < 0.05, significantly lower than UA1.
**P < 0.05, significantly higher than UA1.
Abbreviations: UA, uric acid; TT, total testosterone; FSH, follicle-stimulating hormone; LH, luteinizing hormone; SHBG, sex hormone binding globin; FAI, free androgen index; HbA1c, glycated hemoglobin; FPG, fasting plasma glucose; BMI, body mass index; SBP, systolic blood pressure; DBP, diastolic blood pressure; ED, erectile dysfunction.