Poorly controlled hypertension is associated with elevated serum uric acid to HDL-cholesterol ratio: a cross-sectional cohort study

ABSTRACT

Objectives

The diagnosis and follow-up of hypertension (HT) depend on the blood pressure measurements, which can be affected by several factors. In the present work, we aimed to explore the role of uric acid/HDL-cholesterol ratio (UHR) in HT and whether/or not it was associated with poor blood pressure control.

Methods

In this retrospective cross-sectional cohort study, all the participants treated for hypertension and then followed up in the internal medicine clinics of our institution were enrolled. Hypertensive patients were grouped as either poorly or well-controlled hypertension groups, according to the suggestions of Joint National Committee VIII criteria and healthy volunteers were enrolled as control group. UHR of the study groups was compared.

Results

Our study cohort consisted of 535 subjects; 258 in the well-controlled HT group, 186 in the poorly controlled HT group, and 91 in the control group. Median UHR levels of the poorly controlled HT group (13 (4–43) %) were significantly higher than well-controlled HT group 11 (4–22) %) and control group (8 (4–19) %) (p < 0.001). UHR was correlated with systolic (r = 0.33, p < 0.001) and diastolic (r = 0.28, p < 0.001) BP. UHR level greater than 11% has 70% sensitivity and 60% specificity in predicting poor BP control (AUC: 0.73, p < 0.001, 95%CI: 0.68–0.77). UHR was an independent risk factor for poor BP control in HT subjects and a unit elevation in UHR increased the risk of poorer BP control by 7.3 times (p < 0.001, 95%CI: 3.9–13.63).

Conclusion

Assessment of UHR may be useful in HT patients since elevated UHR levels could be associated with poor blood pressure control in this population.

KEYWORDS:

• Uric acid to HDL ratio
• hypertension
• follow-up
• blood pressure

Disclosure of financial/other conflicts of interest

The authors have no relevant conflicts of interest to disclose. Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Ethical approval

This study was carried out in line with research regulations, including approval by the Abant Izzet Baysal University ethical committee (approval number: 2021/204). This study is in accordance to the principles of the ‘World Medical Association Helsinki Declaration.’

Informed consent

Not available due to retrospective design of the work.

Author contributions

Conception and design; Gulali Aktas, Yilmaz Gunes, Isa Sincer and Ozge Kurtkulagi, Data collection; Ozge Kurtkulagi, Tuba Taslamacioglu Duman, Satilmis Bilgin, Gizem Kahveci and Burcin Meryem Atak Tel, Analysis and interpretation of the data; Atiqa Khalid, Gulali Aktas, Isa Sincer and Satilmis Bilgin, drafting of the paper; Atiqa Khalid, Gulali Aktas Tuba Taslamacioglu Duman, Gizem Kahveci and Burcin Meryem Atak Tel, critical review of the manuscript for intellectual content; Yilmaz Gunes, Gulali Aktas, Atiqa Khalid and Ozge Kurtkulagi, final approval of the version to be published; Gulali Aktas, Atiqa Khalid, Ozge Kurtkulagi, Tuba Taslamacioglu Duman, Satilmis Bilgin, Gizem Kahveci, Burcin Meryem Atak Tel, Isa Sincer, Yilmaz Gunes. All authors are agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Data availability

The datasets used and analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request. The study was a retrospective review of the medical records.

Additional information

Funding

The authors have no funding to report.