Table 1. Baseline characteristics of participants by UA.
| Index | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | p value |
| Female | |||||
| Number | 1387 | 1385 | 1418 | 1422 | |
| UA median (min-max) (mg/dL) | 3.63 (1.55-4.20) | 4.72 (4.22-5.11) | 5.65 (5.13-6.25) | 6.94 (6.27-12.55) | <0.001 |
| baPWV (cm/s) | 1583.86±289.68 | 1662.40±329.18 | 1738.36±327.81 | 1770.38±361.16 | <0.001 |
| Age (years) | 62.02±7.17 | 62.99±7.24 | 64.31±7.19 | 65.69±7.40 | <0.001 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 24.24±3.55 | 25.45±3.77 | 26.28±3.85 | 26.85±3.84 | <0.001 |
| SBP (mmHg) | 137.09±12.79 | 139.78±13.38 | 141.21±13.55 | 143.22±15.45 | <0.001 |
| DBP (mmHg) | 82.02±7.64 | 82.98±8.20 | 83.42±8.14 | 83.38±8.53 | <0.001 |
| Heart rate (bpm) | 76.66±10.49 | 76.86±10.97 | 78.05±11.52 | 78.80±11.75 | <0.001 |
| Dietary data (%) | |||||
| Staple food (rice) | 681 (49.42) | 639 (46.47) | 638 (45.15) | 635 (44.91) | 0.066 |
| Vegetarian diet | 688 (49.93) | 708 (51.53) | 716 (50.89) | 722 (51.17) | 0.855 |
| Laboratory data | |||||
| GGT (U/L) | 14.70 (12.10-19.20) | 15.70 (12.50-20.22) | 17.50 (14.00-23.80) | 19.60 (14.90-26.50) | <0.001 |
| Crea (μmol/L) | 55.07±10.79 | 59.17±16.27 | 61.73±12.82 | 70.96±26.29 | <0.001 |
| Glu (mmol/L) | 6.21±2.29 | 6.12±1.76 | 6.25±1.84 | 6.52±1.85 | <0.001 |
| Serum lipid data | 5.18±1.03 | 5.38±1.02 | 5.48±1.11 | 5.68±1.20 | <0.001 |
| TCHO (mg/dL) | 1.31±0.31 | 1.27±0.29 | 1.24±0.28 | 1.22±0.29 | <0.001 |
| HDL (mg/dL) | 1.54±1.08 | 1.81±1.13 | 2.06±1.54 | 2.48±1.91 | <0.001 |
| TG (mg/dL) | 1.29 (0.94-1.82) | 1.52 (1.10-2.15) | 1.73 (1.24-2.46) | 2.00 (1.41-3.00) | <0.001 |
| Smoking (%) | 0.004 | ||||
| Never | 1344 (97.53) | 1321 (96.35) | 1348 (95.47) | 1340 (94.70) | |
| Former | 10 (0.73) | 17 (1.24) | 28 (1.98) | 33 (2.33) | |
| Current | 24 (1.74) | 33 (2.41) | 36 (2.55) | 42 (2.97) | |
| Medication use (%) | |||||
| Antihypertensive drugs | 1237 (89.83) | 1261 (91.98) | 1329 (94.06) | 1344 (95.39) | <0.001 |
| Lipid lowering drugs | 18 (1.31) | 17 (1.25) | 32 (2.28) | 30 (2.14) | 0.070 |
| Antiplatelet drugs | 20 (1.54) | 34 (2.68) | 36 (2.77) | 39 (3.10) | 0.063 |
| Male | |||||
| Number | 1201 | 1204 | 1223 | 1210 | |
| UA median (min-max) (mg/dL) | 4.57 (2.29-5.23) | 5.63 (5.24-6.17) | 6.61 (6.18-7.19) | 7.95 (7.21-11.76) | <0.001 |
| baPWV (cm/s) | 1657.92±270.04 | 1709.63±197.65 | 1710.55±255.66 | 1731.16±352.50 | <0.001 |
| Age (years) | 65.38±7.42 | 66.05±7.26 | 65.63±7.28 | 66.12±7.55 | 0.043 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 23.77±3.58 | 23.99±3.54 | 24.09±3.61 | 24.09±3.66 | 0.100 |
| SBP (mmHg) | 139.24±11.48 | 139.79±13.02 | 140.45±12.41 | 140.42±13.67 | 0.073 |
| DBP (mmHg) | 83.88±8.39 | 83.82±8.60 | 84.14±8.29 | 84.01±8.59 | 0.809 |
| Heart rate (bpm) | 75.57±11.79 | 75.61±11.72 | 75.95±11.91 | 76.21±11.81 | 0.509 |
| Dietary data (%) | |||||
| Staple food (rice) | 566 (47.68) | 552 (46.58) | 594 (49.21) | 617 (51.98) | 0.050 |
| Vegetarian diet | 386 (32.60) | 395 (33.36) | 398 (33.11) | 396 (33.36) | 0.977 |
| Laboratory data | |||||
| GGT (U/L) | 21.75 (16.50-31.50) | 23.00 (17.00-34.60) | 23.00 (17.20-34.50) | 24.60 (17.80-39.00) | <0.001 |
| Crea (μmol/L) | 75.78±14.61 | 79.55±22.98 | 81.63±32.87 | 85.47±47.18 | <0.001 |
| Glu (mmol/L) | 6.19±1.87 | 6.15±1.76 | 6.17±1.91 | 6.17±1.74 | 0.981 |
| Serum lipid data | |||||
| TCHO (mg/dL) | 4.99±0.99 | 4.99±1.03 | 5.04±1.05 | 5.07±1.05 | 0.153 |
| HDL (mg/dL) | 1.28±0.33 | 1.28±0.34 | 1.29±0.34 | 1.27±0.33 | 0.546 |
| TG (mg/dL) | 1.14 (0.85-1.57) | 1.16 (0.83-1.71) | 1.24 (0.86-1.77) | 1.26 (0.90-1.86) | <0.001 |
| Smoking (%) | 0.065 | ||||
| Never | 290 (24.49) | 293 (24.79) | 306 (25.37) | 321 (27.09) | |
| Former | 283 (23.90) | 310 (26.23) | 290 (24.05) | 327 (27.59) | |
| Current | 611 (51.60) | 579 (48.98) | 610 (50.58) | 537 (45.32) | |
| Medication use (%) | |||||
| Antihypertensive drugs | 1107 (93.34) | 1121 (94.76) | 1134 (94.34) | 1116 (94.74) | 0.404 |
| Lipid lowering drugs | 9 (0.76) | 14 (1.19) | 21 (1.75) | 13 (1.11) | 0.167 |
| Antiplatelet drugs | 42 (3.69) | 46 (4.15) | 41 (3.60) | 45 (4.03) | 0.889 |
UA: Uric Acid, baPWV: Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity, BMI: body mass index, SBP: systolic blood pressure, DBP: diastolic blood pressure, GGT: gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, Crea: Creatinine, Glu: glucose, TCHO: total cholesterol, HDL: high-density lipoprotein, TG: triglycerides.