Uric acid as a cardiorenal risk factor - ready for prime-time?

Patients with cardiac morbidity are known to have increased risk of developing renal disease, and vice versa. Cardiorenal syndrome is a general term describing concomitant cardiac and renal dysfunction, and recently there has been renewed interest in the role of uric acid (UA) in its pathophysiology and management. There is evidence to suggest that UA-lowering drugs, such as the xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibitors allopurinol and Febuxostat, may not only retard deteriorating renal function in the context of chronic kidney disease (CKD) but also confer protective cardiovascular effects. As these diseases represent considerable health burdens, this evidence merits evaluation to determine whether or not hyperuricaemia is a cardiorenal risk factor that necessitates intervention and if existing pharmacological agents are sufficiently efficacious.