Hyperuricaemia and cardiovascular disease

male, respectively, or those already on allopurinol therapy. The results of this uncontrolled clinic-based retrospective survey showed that 61 (39.9%) of 153 hypertensive patients had raised serum uric acid. Our preliminary findings show that many patients with hypertension (a component of the metabolic syndrome) have raised serum uric acid. This finding therefore supports the notion that uric acid is a component of the metabolic syndrome. Our findings have important clinical implications on cardiovascular risk factor screening and the choice of anti-hypertensive drugs. Clearly, randomised controlled outcome trials with a specific design on uric acid reduction are required to assess the pathogenic role of raised serum uric acid in cardiovascular disease. Realistically, this type of trial may never be conducted as the confounders may prove too difficult to control.