Elevated Serum Uric Acid is Associated with Rapid Decline in Kidney Function: A 10-Year Follow-Up Study

The long-term impact of changes in serum uric acid (SUA) concentration on the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) among the general population remains unclear. We investigated the longitudinal associations between changes in SUA and eGFR over 10 years in 1222 participants with baseline eGFR ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m².

This was a 10-year retrospective cohort study conducted from 2007 to 2017. Rapid eGFR decline (defined as the highest quartile of change in eGFR between 2007 and 2017) and new-onset kidney disease (defined as an eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m² at a 10-year follow-up) were examined using multiple logistic regression analysis, adjusted for sex, age, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, SUA, fasting plasma glucose, serum total cholesterol, and triglyceride at baseline.

SUA was inversely correlated with eGFR, and the slopes of the SUA-eGFR regression lines were consistently steeper in females than males. A significant inverse correlation was also observed between 10-year changes in SUA and eGFR in both sexes. Multivariate analysis showed that every 1 mg/dL increase in SUA from baseline was associated with higher risk of rapid eGFR decline and new-onset kidney disease (OR 1.25; 95% CI 1.14-1.33 and OR 1.40; 95% CI 1.26-1.49, respectively). Furthermore, the subjects in the highest SUA quartile (>6.0 mg/dL) had a 2.45 times higher risk of rapid eGFR decline (95% CI 1.51-3.42) compared to those in the lowest SUA quartile (<3.9 mg/dL).

Elevated baseline SUA is an independent risk factor for rapid eGFR decline and new-onset kidney disease in the general population.