ESSENTIAL HYPERTENSION

“EVALUATION OF SERUM URIC ACID AT TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL HYDERABAD/JAMSHORO”

Abstract

Background: Little and sparse information is present in our population on
association between serum uric acid and essential hypertension .Increased serum uric acid is
related with elevated blood pressure in different research studies. The relationship between
serum uric acid level and high blood pressure can be difficult to assess because drugs for high
blood pressure usually affect uric acid level. Objectives: The objective of our study is to evaluate
the association of serum uric acid to severity and duration of essential hypertension at Liaquat
University Hospital (tertiary care) Hyderabad / Jamshoro Methodology: Study Design: Case
control and prospective study. Setting: Medical wards and Out Patient Medicine Department of
Liaquat University Hospital Hyderabad / Jamshoro. Period: One year i.e. from 20th March 2013
to 19th February 2014. Methodology: A total of 75 high blood pressure subjects aged 35 years
and above were included as cases with same number(75) of age & sex matched normal blood
pressure subjects as controls after excluding, Secondary hypertension, metabolic syndrome
,Diabetes Mellitus, age <40 ;>70 years, hypothyroidism, hyperparathyroidism, Ischemic heart
disease, congestive cardiac failure,Alcohol abuse, Renal Insufficiency, glomerulonephritis,
pyelonephritis, hereditary nephropathy, patients on drugs –, ethambutol,levodopa pyrazinamide,
low dose asprin, Cytotoxic drugs, nicotinic acid ,thiazide diuretics.. Qualitative and quantitative
data were evaluated in SPSS version 16.0. Results: The mean serum uric acid level was 6.3
± 1.4 mg/dl vs 4.5 ± 1.2 mg/dl in case (n = 75) and control patients (n = 75) respectively. A
total of 23 (30.6%, n = 75) patients in cases and 8 (10.6%) subjects in control had high serum
uric acid (Odds Ratio 2.13, p <0.05). Therefore, the frequency of increased serum uric acid
level subjects & mean serum uric acid level were significantly greater in hypertensive cases,
as compared to those of healthy normal blood pressure Controls. Serum uric acid correlated
positively with both systolic blood pressure (r=0.132, p<0.01) and diastolic blood pressure
(r=0.214; p<0.01). Conclusion: High serum uric acid is frequent in our populace with essential
hypertension and there is relationship between serum uric acid level and blood pressure.
Further large scale research studies on the pathophysiologic significance of high serum uric
acid in these high blood pressure patients are in further need.