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Serum Uric Acid Levels and Cardiometabolic Profile in Middle-Aged, Treatment-Naïve Hypertensive Patients

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Abstract

Introduction

Uric acid (UA) is a risk factor associated with cardiometabolic diseases. However, the appropriate threshold of UA remains a matter of controversy.

Aim

To assess whether slightly increased UA levels have any significance in middle-aged, treatment-naïve persons with new-onset hypertension.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study we recruited middle-aged participants with new-onset hypertension who were treatment-naïve. Subjects below (Group 1) and above the median UA levels (Group 2) were compared regarding clinical and laboratory characteristics that are implicated in cardiovascular and renal risk. The study population consisted of 369 persons (mean age 48.4±10 years) with median UA of 4.8 mg/dl. Group 2 individuals were predominantly male and had higher levels of blood pressure, increased body mass index, waist circumference, and a greater degree of insulin resistance. Additionally, greater lipid profile abnormalities were detected. This group also exhibited a significantly decreased fractional excretion of UA. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that serum UA levels were correlated with male sex, waist circumference, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), serum calcium and insulin levels, as well as with fractional excretion of UA. A positive association between serum UA levels and the number diagnostic criteria of the metabolic syndrome (MtS) was also noticed. After reclassification of subjects according to UA quartiles, individuals with UA levels ≥ 3.8 mg/dl had significantly higher odds (2.5-fold to 9.8-fold) of having MtS after adjustment of age, sex, and eGFR.

Conclusions

Uric acid levels in middle-aged, treatment-naïve hypertensive patients are correlated with risk factors for cardiovascular and renal disease.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Nephrology “G. Papadakis”, General Hospital of Nikaia-Piraeus “Agios Panteleimon”, 18454, Piraeus, Nikaia, Greece

    Panagiotis Theofilis, Aikaterini Vordoni & Rigas G. Kalaitzidis

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, University of Ioannina, 45110, Ioannina, Greece

    Vasilis Tsimihodimos

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  1. Panagiotis Theofilis
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  2. Vasilis Tsimihodimos
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rigas G. Kalaitzidis.

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Conflict of interest

The authors have no competing interests to declare that are relevant to the content of this article.

Research involving Human Participants

The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Ioannina University Hospital and was carried out according to the Declaration of Helsinki (1989).

Informed consent

All individuals were informed about the aims of the study and provided written informed consent.

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Data availability

The datasets generated during and analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Author contribution

PT interpreted the results and drafted the manuscript. VT conceived and designed the study and revised the manuscript. AV interpreted the results and revised the manuscript. RGK conceived and designed the study, acquired the data, interpreted the results and drafted the manuscript.

Supplementary Information

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40292_2022_522_MOESM1_ESM.pdf

Supplementary Figure 1: Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis of the diagnostic accuracy of uric acid concerning the prevalence of metabolic syndrome. AUROC: area under ROC curve (PDF 70 KB)

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Theofilis, P., Tsimihodimos, V., Vordoni, A. et al. Serum Uric Acid Levels and Cardiometabolic Profile in Middle-Aged, Treatment-Naïve Hypertensive Patients. High Blood Press Cardiovasc Prev 29, 367–374 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40292-022-00522-9

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