Hyperuricemia is a new therapeutic target of heart failure

Abstract Purpose: The purposes are to evaluate (1) the mechanism of hyperuricemia in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) and (2) the effect of treatment for hyperuricemia on CHF. Method: Serum uric acid (Sua) and urinary uric acid (Uua) excretion were measured and renal clearance tests for uric acid (Cua) and creatinine (Ccr) were performed in 49 CHF patients and 16 normal subjects. Next, cardiac performance, lipid and glucose profiles were evaluated with benzbromarone or placebo in 11 CHF patients by a randomized cross-over double blind design. Result: Sua was significantly increased in class II-III CHF compared to normal subjects (p Conclusion: Decreased uric acid excretion may be responsible for the hyperuricemia in CHF, and treatment of hyperuricemia was associated with an improvement of insulin resistance in CHF. Thus, hyperuricemia might deserve a new therapeutic target of CHF.