Objectives: Hyperuricemia and Hypertension are two independent risk factors of renal function damage. Our research aimed to investigate the synergistic interaction between hyperuricemia and hypertension toward reduced eGFR.
Methods: Our analyses included 11,694 participants from a cross-sectional population-based Northeast China Rural Cardiovascular Health Study. Interaction was assessed on both multiplicative and additive scales.
Results: The prevalence of reduced estimated glomerular infiltration rate (eGFR) was 2.11% in our population. After adjustment of age, sex, race, education level, family income, current smoking and drinking status, body mass index, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and diabetes, subjects with both hyperuricemia and hypertension suffered from a 11.004 (95% CI: 7.080-17.102) times risk of reduced eGFR than the healthy reference group, greater than that in participants with only hyperuricemia (5.741, 95% CI: 3.045-10.825) or hypertension (1.145, 95% CI: 0.764-1.715). Furthermore, additive interaction between hyperuricemia and hypertension was statistically significant and synergistic (relative excess risk due to interaction: 5.118, 95% CI: 0.611-9.624; the attributable proportion due to interaction: 0.465, 95% CI: 0.151-0.779; Synergy index: 2.047, 95% CI: 1.017-4.120). However, our results revealed no significant interaction on the multiplicative scale.
Conclusions: Hyperuricemia and hypertension may have a synergistic interaction toward renal function loss in addition to their independent impacts. Our findings may provide a straightforward illustration which is easy for the public to realize the hazard of coexistent hypertension and hyperuricemia on renal injury.
Keywords: Chronic kidney disease; hypertension; hyperuricemia; synergistic interaction.