Relationship between serum uric acid levels and arterial blood pressure in Egyptian young males

Background: Hyperuricemia is an independent risk factor for hypertension, and uric acid has pro-oxidant and pro-inflammatory effects. Adolescents with high serum uric acid levels may be at risk to develop hypertension, cardiovascular or renal disease later in their life. A correlation between uric acid in childhood and blood pressure was found in all race and sex groups except black males. Lowering serum uric acid should be made as early as possible, as once intrarenal vascular changes occur, hypertension becomes more related to renal disease than uric acid. The aim of this work was to study the relationship between serum uric acid levels and arterial blood pressure in Egyptian young males, without hypertension or other medical diseases. Subjects and methods: This study was carried out on 950 Egyptian young males, (20-30) years old, for whom blood pressure was measured, and then 200 subjects were selected, after excluding hypertension, hypotension, diabetes mellitus, renal disease, clinical gout and cigarette smoking. Repeated blood pressure measurements were made, and the average systolic, diastolic and mean blood pressures were calculated, in addition to weight, height and waist circumference. Laboratory investigations including serum uric acid, fasting blood glucose, renal function tests, and urine analysis had been made for them. Results: Serum uric acid levels were divided into quartiles; 1st quartile (3.1-4.2 mg/dl), 2nd quartile (4.3-4.8 mg/dl), 3rd quartile (4.9-5.4 mg/dl) and 4th quartile (5.5-6 mg/dl). We found that systolic, diastolic and mean blood pressures in subjects with serum uric acid levels in the 4th quartile (130.14±4.73, 86.31±1.09 and 100.92 ± 2.45 mmHg), were significantly higher than those in the 3rd quartile (122.59±3.77, 82.54±1.80 and 95.89 ± 1.97 mm Hg), than those in the 2nd quartile (115.26±2.99, 77.67±1.6 and 90.2 ± 1.97 mm Hg), than those in the 1st quartile (106.1±3.41, 72.79±1.37 and 84.65 ± 1.55 mm Hg), all P values < .01, while no significant differences were found among the serum uric acid quartiles as regards the age, weight, height, waist circumference, or serum creatinine, all P values > .05. There was a significant positive correlation between each of uric acid, waist circumference and age and each of systolic, diastolic and mean blood pressures; all P values<.05. Serum uric acid levels were found to be independently and positively related to each of systolic, diastolic and mean blood pressures, when waist circumference and age were adjusted; all P values < 0 .01. Conclusion: Serum uric acid levels are related to arterial blood pressure in Egyptian young males, and subjects with high normal uric acid levels have prehypertension. Reducing serum uric acid levels in such persons might help prevent their developing hypertension.