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Serum uric acid and target organ damage in essential hypertension
Sandra N Ofori1, Osaretin J Odia1
1Department of Internal Medicine, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria.
Insights
High serum uric acid levels are linked to target organ damage in hypertension patients at diagnosis. This finding suggests uric acid is a reliable marker for cardiovascular damage in this population.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Nephrology
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Hypertension significantly increases cardiovascular mortality by affecting organs like the heart and kidneys.
- Hyperuricemia, or high uric acid levels, is an established risk factor for cardiovascular complications in hypertensive individuals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between serum uric acid levels and target organ damage, specifically left ventricular hypertrophy and microalbuminuria.
- To evaluate this relationship in newly diagnosed, untreated patients with essential hypertension.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 130 untreated essential hypertension patients and 65 healthy controls.
- Left ventricular hypertrophy assessed via cardiac ultrasound; microalbuminuria evaluated using immunoturbidimetry.
- Serum uric acid levels were measured in all participants.
Main Results:
- Hypertensive patients exhibited significantly higher mean serum uric acid levels and a greater prevalence of hyperuricemia compared to controls.
- Hyperuricemia was strongly associated with increased prevalence of both microalbuminuria and left ventricular hypertrophy in hypertensive patients.
- A significant linear relationship was observed between elevated uric acid levels and the presence of target organ damage.
Conclusions:
- Serum uric acid is significantly associated with target organ damage in hypertensive patients at the time of diagnosis.
- Elevated uric acid levels serve as a reliable indicator of cardiovascular damage in patients with essential hypertension.
- These findings highlight the importance of monitoring uric acid levels in hypertension management.
Background:
Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular mortality, as it acts through its effects on target organs, such as the heart and kidneys. Hyperuricemia increases cardiovascular risk in patients with hypertension.
Objective:
To assess the relationship between serum uric acid and target organ damage (left ventricular hypertrophy and microalbuminuria) in untreated patients with essential hypertension.
Patients And Methods:
A cross-sectional study was carried out in 130 (85 females, 45 males) newly diagnosed, untreated patients with essential hypertension. Sixty-five healthy age- and sex-matched non-hypertensive individuals served as controls for comparison. Left ventricular hypertrophy was evaluated by cardiac ultrasound scan, and microalbuminuria was assessed in an early morning midstream urine sample by immunoturbidimetry. Blood samples were collected for assessing uric acid levels.
Results:
Mean serum uric acid was significantly higher among the patients with hypertension (379.7±109.2 μmol/L) than in the controls (296.9±89.8 μmol/L; P<0.001), and the prevalence of hyperuricemia was 46.9% among the hypertensive patients and 16.9% among the controls (P<0.001). Among the hypertensive patients, microalbuminuria was present in 54.1% of those with hyperuricemia and in 24.6% of those with normal uric acid levels (P=0.001). Similarly, left ventricular hypertrophy was more common in the hypertensive patients with hyperuricemia (70.5% versus 42.0%, respectively; P=0.001). There was a significant linear relationship between mean uric acid levels and the number of target organ damage (none versus one versus two: P=0.012).
Conclusion:
These results indicate that serum uric acid is associated with target organ damage in patients with hypertension, even at the time of diagnosis; thus, it is a reliable marker of cardiovascular damage in our patient population.
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