Estimation of serum uric acid level in essential hypertension and its correlation with severity and duration of hypertension

Back ground: The association of raised serum uric acid levels with various cardiovascular risk factors has often led to the debate of whether raised serum uric acid levels could be an independent risk factor in essential hypertension. Hence we carried out a study to examine the possibility of hyperuricemia causing hypertension, to see if there is a relationship between the serum uric acid levels and severity & duration of hypertension. Objectives: 1.To study the relationship between serum uric acid levels and hypertension. 2 To study the association of serum uric acid level to Severity and Duration of essential hypertension. Methodology: The study was carried out in Sri Adhichunchungiri institute of medical science the study period was of 18 months from August 2011 to February 2013 a total of 200 patients were studied of which 100 were cases and 100 controls. The patients were included if they satisfied the JNC VII criteria for hypertension. They were excluded if they were having any other condition known to cause raised serum uric acid levels & secondary hypertension. Results: The study showed that serum uric acid levels were raised in patients with hypertension in comparison to normotensives. The Mean SUA levels between cases and controls were 6.29 ± 1.1 and 4.0 ± 0.9 mg/dl respectively. t-value= 15.47, p - value <0.0001. The mean serum uric acid levels in hypertensive patients with different age group ie 40-49; 50-59; 60-70 years of age was 6.42±1.49; 6.87±1.36; 7.0± 1.31mg /dl respectively. The mean serum uric acid levels in male hypertensive’s was 6.5 ± 1.1mg/dl and female hypertensive’s was 6.1 ± 1.1mg/dl SUA levels in the severity of hypertension showed a mean serum uric acid level in hypertensive’s with SBP 140-159 and DBP 90-99 mm Hg of 5.4 ±0.9 mg/dl and in those with blood pressure ≥160/100 mm Hg 7.0 ± 0.6 mg /dl the tvalue of 10.6 and p- value <0.001 which was significant. SUA level in patients with hypertension < 5 years was 5.7± 1.3mg/dl those with ≥ 5 years was 7.2 ± 1.1 t-value of 10.3, p-value < 0.001 which was also significant. Conclusion: Serum Uric Acid can be used as an early biochemical marker to determine the severity and duration of hypertension.