Uric acid to albumin ratio as a novel predictor for coronary slow flow phenomenon in patients with chronic coronary syndrome and non-obstructive coronary arteries

Abstract Background The plasma uric acid to albumin ratio (UAR) is considered as a novel indicator for Inflammation. However, the association between UAR and coronary slow flow phenomenon (CSFP) remains unclear. Methods A total of 1328 individuals with chronic coronary syndrome (CCS) receiving coronary angiography (CAG) and found no obvious obstructive stenosis (< 40%) were included in this study. 79 individuals developed CSFP and were divided into CSFP group. The 1:2 age-matched patients with normal coronary blood flow were allocated to the control group ( n = 158). The clinical characteristics, laboratory parameters including uric acid, albumin ratio, UAR and the angiographic characteristics were compared between the two groups. Results Patients with CSFP had a higher level of uric acid (392.3 ± 85.3 vs. 273.8 ± 71.5, P < 0.001), UAR (10.7 ± 2.2 vs. 7.2 ± 1.9, P < 0.001), but a lower level of plasma albumin (36.9 ± 4.2 vs. 38.5 ± 3.6, P = 0.003). Moreover, UAR increased as the numbers of vessels involved in CSFP increased. The logistic regression analysis demonstrated that UAR was independent predictors for CSFP. The Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that when UAR was more than 7.9, the AUC was 0.883 (95% CI: 0.840–0.927, p < 0.001), with the sensitivity and specificity were 78.2% and 88.2% respectively. Conclusion Combined uric acid with plasma albumin, UAR could serve as an independent predictor for CSFP.