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Is hyperuricemia a risk factor of stroke and coronary heart disease among Africans?
B Longo-Mbenza1, E L Luila, P Mbete
1Lomo Medical Clinic, The Heart of Africa, Cardiovascular Center, Kinshasa, Congo.
Insights
High serum uric acid levels predict increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and mortality in African patients. This finding highlights hyperuricemia as a significant cardiovascular risk factor, particularly in men for myocardial infarction and stroke.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular epidemiology
- Metabolic disorders
- Clinical research
Background:
- Uric acid plays a role in platelet aggregation, potentially increasing thrombotic risk.
- Elevated uric acid levels (hyperuricemia) are increasingly recognized as a potential cardiovascular risk factor.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between elevated serum uric acid and the incidence of cardiovascular events.
- To examine the relationship between hyperuricemia and mortality, myocardial infarction, and stroke.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal study involving 418 patients in Kinshasa, Congo.
- Serum uric acid levels were assessed in relation to gender, obesity, hypertension, and other cardiovascular risk factors.
- Univariate regression analysis was employed to determine associations with cardiovascular events.
Main Results:
- Hyperuricemia was more frequent in obese and hypertensive individuals, and significantly correlated with body weight, blood pressure, glucose, and lipids.
- In men, hyperuricemia was associated with a twofold increased risk of myocardial infarction and stroke.
- Hyperuricemia was linked to a doubled risk of all-cause mortality and stroke incidence in the study population.
Conclusions:
- Hyperuricemia is a significant predictor of myocardial infarction in men.
- Elevated serum uric acid is associated with an increased risk of stroke in both sexes.
- Hyperuricemia predicts all-cause mortality, particularly in women.
Background:
Uric acid stabilizes platelet aggregation and enhances thrombotic tendency.
Objective:
To examine the relationship between raised serum uric acid and subsequent cardiovascular events (mortality, myocardial infarction, stroke).
Methods:
This is a longitudinal study in a small random number (418) of patients in Kinshasa, Congo. In this hospital-based study, uricemia was determined with respect to gender, obesity and hypertension as well correlated with traditional cardiovascular risk factors. A univariate regression model was used to investigate the association of serum uric acid with the incidence of mortality, stroke and myocardial infarction.
Results:
Serum uric acid was higher (P<0.05) in obese women and men as well in hypertensives, than in their controls. The significant (P<0.05 and 0.001) highest frequency of hyperuricemia was observed in both diabetic and hypertensive patients. Blood pressure (BP) was higher (P<0.001) in patients with hyperuricemia than in those with normal serum uric acid. Serum uric acid was significantly correlated with body weight, BP, glucose, fibrinogen, urea, creatinin and total cholesterol. In men, hyperuricemia was significantly (P<0.01) associated with a twofold increased risk of both myocardial infarction and stroke incidence. However, hyperuricemia was significantly related to a double risk of all mortality and stroke onset.
Conclusion:
Our results indicate that hyperuricemia among african patients is a strong predictor of myocardial infarction in men, stroke in both sexes and all causes of mortality in women.