Zhou Z, et al. - Researchers analyzed data from studies reporting the link between serum uric acid (UA) concentrations and the risk of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) to see how they are linked. They calculated mean difference for serum UA levels with 95% confidence intervals, and performed a meta-analysis of six studies, with 345 ICH patients, 574 ischemic stroke patients and 535 healthy controls. Findings revealed the risk of ICH was not increased by serum UA levels. The most likely reason was the dual roles of UA, ie pro-oxidant and antioxidant, in the progression of atherosclerosis. However, in the elderly, serum UA may potentially confer risk for ICH. No race-specific differences in UA levels were found between Asians and Caucasians. Concerning the risk of ICH, no disparities were observed between men and women.