Related Experiment Videos
Hyperuricemia associated with hypertension. A 4-year follow-up study of hyperuricemic hypertensives
Insights
High serum uric acid levels in hypertensive patients indicate a poorer prognosis, increasing risks for vascular diseases like stroke and heart attack. Family history of gout warrants further investigation in hyperuricemic individuals.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Nephrology
- Rheumatology
Background:
- Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.
- Serum uric acid levels are increasingly recognized as a potential risk factor for cardiovascular events.
- The prognostic significance of hyperuricemia in hypertensive patients requires further elucidation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between serum uric acid levels and the prognosis of hypertensive patients.
- To determine if hyperuricemia is associated with an increased risk of vascular diseases and mortality in this population.
- To explore the role of personal and family history of gout in hyperuricemic hypertensive patients.
Main Methods:
- Prospective cohort study involving 153 hypertensive patients.
- Initial measurement of serum uric acid concentration.
- Follow-up evaluation for 4 years, recording mortality and incidence of cerebrovascular disease, myocardial infarction, and heart failure.
- Assessment of personal and family history of gout.
Main Results:
- Of 117 followed patients, 16 died within 4 years.
- Hyperuricemic patients showed a higher frequency of vascular diseases and mortality.
- 8 out of 11 deaths occurred in the hyperuricemic group.
- Four hyperuricemic men experienced gouty attacks, all with a family history of gout or asymptomatic hyperuricemia.
Conclusions:
- Hyperuricemia is a significant poor prognostic factor for vascular diseases in hypertensive patients.
- Screening for personal and family history of gout is crucial in hyperuricemic individuals, even without current gout symptoms.
- Elevated serum uric acid may serve as a valuable biomarker for risk stratification in hypertensive patients.
Abstract:
We investigated the prognosis of 153 hypertensive patients, whose initial concentration of serum uric acid had been evaluated. One hundred and seventeen subjects could be followed up after 4 years and 16 of them died during the follow-up period. Cerebrovascular disease was seen in 6 subjects, 4 of whom died from the disease. Myocardial infarction and heart failure occurred in 9 and 7 of them died as a result. The frequency of these diseases was greater among the hyperuricemic group and 8 of the 11 who died belonged to this group. Four men were struck by gouty attacks. They were all hyperuricemic and had been proven to have at least one family member with asymptomatic hyperuricemia and/or gout. It is reasonable to regard the presence of hyperuricemia as one of the poor risk factors for vascular diseases. I addition, we must investigate more closely personal and family histories of gout when we see hyperuricemic subjects, regardless of absence of gouty symptoms.