Uric acid levels as a predictor of cognitive function in the elderly
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35335/midwifery.v13i3.2047Keywords:
Cognitive function, Cognitive screening, Elderly, MoCA-Ina, Uric acidAbstract
This study aimed to examine the association between serum uric acid (SUA) levels and cognitive function among elderly individuals. An observational case-control study was conducted involving 37 elderly participants aged 60–75 years from As-Sakinah Elderly Integrated Health Post in Grendeng Sub-District, North Purwokerto, Indonesia. SUA levels were measured using a point-of-care testing (POCT) device, while cognitive function was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment–Indonesian version (MoCA-Ina). The mean SUA level was 5.52 ± 1.57 mg/dL, and the mean MoCA-Ina score was 19.05 ± 5.07, indicating that most participants demonstrated cognitive impairment. Pearson correlation revealed a non-significant negative association between SUA and cognitive scores (r = –0.225, p = 0.180). However, simple linear regression showed a significant inverse relationship (B = –0.214, p < 0.001), higher SUA levels were associated with lower cognitive performance. These findings suggest that while SUA may contribute to cognitive decline, it is not a standalone biomarker. Further longitudinal studies with larger samples are warranted to clarify its predictive value.
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References
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Petersen, R. C., Lopez, O., Armstrong, M. J., Getchius, T. S. D., Ganguli, M., Gloss, D., Gronseth, G. S., Marson, D., Pringsheim, T., Day, G. S., Sager, M., Stevens, J., & Rae-Grant, A. (2018). Practice guideline update summary: Mild cognitive impairment report of theguideline development, dissemination, and implementation. Neurology, 90(3), 126–135. https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000004826
Rambe, A. S., & Fitri, F. I. (2017). Correlation between the Montreal Cognitive Assessment-Indonesian Version (Moca-INA) and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) in Elderly. Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences, 5(7), 915–919. https://doi.org/10.3889/oamjms.2017.202
Stewart, D. J., Langlois, V., & Noone, D. (2019). Hyperuricemia and hypertension: Links and risks. Integrated Blood Pressure Control, 12, 43–62. https://doi.org/10.2147/IBPC.S184685
Biessels, G. J., & Despa, F. (2018). Cognitive decline and dementia in diabetes mellitus: mechanisms and clinical implications. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 14(10), 591–604. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41574-018-0048-7
Blondell, S. J., Hammersley-Mather, R., & Veerman, J. L. (2014). Does physical activity prevent cognitive decline and dementia?: A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. BMC Public Health, 510(14), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-14-510
Du, L., Zong, Y., Li, H., Wang, Q., Xie, L., Yang, B., Pang, Y., Zhang, C., Zhong, Z., & Gao, J. (2024). Hyperuricemia and its related diseases: mechanisms and advances in therapy. Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy, 9(1), 1–29. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41392-024-01916-y
Geng, R., Zhang, Y., Liu, M., Deng, S., Ding, J., Zhong, H., & Tu, Q. (2022). Elevated serum uric acid is associated with cognitive improvement in older American adults: A large, population-based-analysis of the NHANES database. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 14, 01–13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2022.1024415
Harada, C. N., Natelson Love, M. C., & Triebel, K. L. (2013). Normal cognitive aging. Clinics in Geriatric Medicine, 29(4), 737–752. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cger.2013.07.002
Iadecola, C., Yaffe, K., Biller, J., Bratzke, L. C., Faraci, F. M., Gorelick, P. B., Gulati, M., Kamel, H., Knopman, D. S., Launer, L. J., Saczynski, J. S., Seshadri, S., & Al Hazzouri, A. Z. (2016). Impact of Hypertension on Cognitive Function: A Scientific Statement from the American Heart Association. Hypertension, 68(6), e67–e94. https://doi.org/10.1161/HYP.0000000000000053
Khaled, Y., Abdelhamid, A. A., Al-Mazroey, H., Almannai, A. K., Fetais, S., Al-Srami, A. S., Ahmed, S., Al-Hajri, N., Mustafa, A., Chivese, T., & Djouhri, L. (2023). Higher serum uric acid is associated with poorer cognitive performance in healthy middle-aged people: a cross-sectional study. Internal and Emergency Medicine, 18(6), 1701–1709. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11739-023-03337-1
Li, X., Meng, X., Timofeeva, M., Tzoulaki, I., Tsilidis, K. K., Ioannidis, P. A., Campbell, H., & Theodoratou, E. (2017). Serum uric acid levels and multiple health outcomes: Umbrella review of evidence from observational studies, randomised controlled trials, and Mendelian randomisation studies. BMJ (Online), 357(j2376), 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.j2376
Livingston, G., Huntley, J., Sommerlad, A., Ames, D., Ballard, C., Banerjee, S., Brayne, C., Burns, A., Cohen-Mansfield, J., Cooper, C., Costafreda, S. G., Dias, A., Fox, N., Gitlin, L. N., Howard, R., Kales, H. C., Kivimäki, M., Larson, E. B., Ogunniyi, A., … Mukadam, N. (2020). Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2020 report of the Lancet Commission. The Lancet, 396(10248), 413–446. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30367-6
Maiuolo, J., Oppedisano, F., Gratteri, S., Muscoli, C., & Mollace, V. (2016). Regulation of uric acid metabolism and excretion. International Journal of Cardiology, 213, 8–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijcard.2015.08.109
Nasreddine, Z. S., Phillips, N. A., Bédirian, V., Charbonneau, S., Whitehead, V., Collin, I., Cummings, J. L., & Chertkow, H. (2005). The Montreal Cognitive Assessment, MoCA: A Brief Screening Tool For Mild Cognitive Impairment. J Am Geriatr Soc ., 53(4), 695–699. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-5415.2005.53221.x.
Niu, W., Yang, H., & Lu, C. (2020). The relationship between serum uric acid and cognitive function in patients with chronic heart failure. BMC Cardiovascular Disorders, 20(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12872-020-01666-z
Paraskos, J., Berke, Z., Cook, J., Miner, J. N., Braddock, M., Platt, A., & Hughes, G. (2016). An analytical comparison between point-of-care uric acid testing meters. Expert Review of Molecular Diagnostics, 16(3), 373–382. https://doi.org/10.1586/14737159.2016.1134326
Perna, L., Mons, U., Schöttker, B., & Brenner, H. (2016). Association of cognitive function and serum uric acid: Are cardiovascular diseases a mediator among women? Experimental Gerontology, 81, 37–41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exger.2016.04.017
Petersen, R. C., Lopez, O., Armstrong, M. J., Getchius, T. S. D., Ganguli, M., Gloss, D., Gronseth, G. S., Marson, D., Pringsheim, T., Day, G. S., Sager, M., Stevens, J., & Rae-Grant, A. (2018). Practice guideline update summary: Mild cognitive impairment report of theguideline development, dissemination, and implementation. Neurology, 90(3), 126–135. https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000004826
Rambe, A. S., & Fitri, F. I. (2017). Correlation between the Montreal Cognitive Assessment-Indonesian Version (Moca-INA) and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) in Elderly. Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences, 5(7), 915–919. https://doi.org/10.3889/oamjms.2017.202
Stewart, D. J., Langlois, V., & Noone, D. (2019). Hyperuricemia and hypertension: Links and risks. Integrated Blood Pressure Control, 12, 43–62. https://doi.org/10.2147/IBPC.S184685
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Published
2025-08-18
How to Cite
Yuniati, N. I., Zerlinda, V. and Purwanti, S. . (2025) “Uric acid levels as a predictor of cognitive function in the elderly”, Science Midwifery, 13(3), pp. 886–894. doi: 10.35335/midwifery.v13i3.2047.
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