Source
Department of Cardionephrology, University of Genoa, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria San Martino, Genoa, Italy. francesca.viazzi@unige.it
Abstract
OBJECTIVE:
Recent studies suggest that uric acid may predict the development of diabetes in the general population. Whether this association holds true in primary hypertension and is independent of renal function and metabolic syndrome is not clear at present.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS:
In a prospective, observational study, 758 untreated hypertensive patients were evaluated at baseline and followed-up for 11 years.
RESULTS:
A total of 8,332 person-years of follow-up revealed that slightly elevated uric acid levels (i.e., ≥318 μmol/l for women and ≥420 μmol/l for men) at baseline were associated with a significantly higher risk of developing diabetes (hazard ratio 3.65 [95% CI 1.99-6.69], P < 0.0001), even after adjustment for several confounding factors such as metabolic syndrome (2.78 [1.35-5.70], P = 0.0054).
CONCLUSIONS:
Uric acid is an independent predictor of diabetes in primary hypertension.