Uric acid in hypertension - a marker of cardiovascular risk related to body composition

Introduction. Elevated uric acid (UA) is associated with arterial hypertension (AH), obesity, dyslipidemia and insulin resistance. However, its association with body components has not been previously investigated. Objective. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between UA and cardiovascular risk factors, anthropometric parameters and body composition in patients with AH. Materials and method. In 138 patients with AH the following parameters were evaluated: UA, low and high density lipoproteins (LDL-C, HDL-C), triglycerides (TG), fasting glucose (FG), creatinine; body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), fat mass (FM), fat free mass (FFM) and total body water (TBW). Results. Positive correlations were shown between UA and LDL-C (p=0.041), TG (p<0.001), FG (p=0.025) and creatinine (p<0.001) and negative between UA and HDL-C (p<0.001). Significant associations between UA and anthropometric parameters and body components, such as WC (p<0.001), BMI (p<0.001), FFM (p<0.001) and TBW (p<0.001), were also observed. In the multiple regression model, independent predictors of UA concentration were serum creatinine and TBW (R2=0.45; p<0.001). Conclusions. In patients with AH, uric acid was significantly related to cardiovascular risk factors, including obesity. However, the main anthropometric determinant of plasma UA concentration is FFM. The consideration of body composition in the interpretation of UA concentration appears to be justified, but the verification of this hypothesis requires further studies.