Serum uric acid level in Bangladeshi adults with essential hypertension

Background: The association of hyperuricemia with various cardiovascular risk factors has often led to the debate of whether hyperuricemia is an independent risk factor for essential hypertension (HTN).  The current study was conducted to see the relationship between serum uric acid and essential HTN in Bangladeshi adults. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, conducted in a tertiary hospital of Bangladesh, 155 patients with essential hypertension (newly detected or on treatment) aged ≥18 years and 100 age-sex matched normotensive subjects were investigated. Serum uric acid, plasma glucose, serum creatinine, and lipid profile were measured in all in fasting samples. Results: The frequency of hyperuricemia was higher in the hypertensive group in comparison to the normotensive control group (29.7% vs. 6.0%, p <0.001). Serum uric acid level was higher in the hypertensive subjects than the controls (6.10±0.88 vs. 5.38±0.54 mg/dL, mean±SD, p <0.001). In the hypertensive group, subjects with stage II HTN had higher serum uric acid than those with stage I HTN (6.46±0.83 vs. 5.72±0.78 mg/dL, mean±SD, p <0.001). In the hypertensive group, uric acid level showed significant positive correlations with both systolic and diastolic blood pressure though in the control group uric acid showed such correlation with systolic BP only. Conclusion: Patients with essential hypertension had higher serum uric acid compared to normotensive controls; uric acid level showed positive correlations with systolic and diastolic BP in the hypertensive subjects.