Serum uric acid concentration is associated with ascending aortic dilatation in newly diagnosed nondiabetic hypertensive patients

ABSTRACT

Objectives: Recently, serum uric acid (UA) has emerged as an important independent risk factor for adverse outcomes in hypertension. The aim of the study was to evaluate the relationship between UA levels and ascending aortic dilatation (AAD) in newly diagnosed nondiabetic hypertensive subjects.

Methods: A total of 818 patients with a new diagnosis of hypertension for which they had never received treatment were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. All patients underwent comprehensive transthoracic echocardiography measurement. AAD was defined as a diameter of ascending aorta equal to or more than 35 mm.

Results: There were 302 patients with AAD (mean age 69 ± 11 years; 157 male) and 516 subjects with normal ascending aorta diameters (mean age 64 ± 12 years; 158 male). The correlation analysis pointed out positive correlations between ascending aorta size and serum UA levels (r = 0.30, P<0.001). In multiple logistic regression analysis, the OR of a 1 mg/dL increase in serum UA was 1.29(95% CI, 1.18 to 1.43; P < 0.001) for AAD. In reference to the first quartile, the prevalence of AAD increased such that the OR for the fourth quartile was 4.03 (95% CI, 2.38 to 6.82; P for trend < 0.001) of the serum UA concentration. The optimal UA cutoff value for detecting AAD was 6.45 mg/dL, based on receiver operating characteristic curve analysis with a sensitivity of 68.0% and a specificity of 70.0%.

Conclusion: Serum UA concentration was significantly associated with AAD prevalence in newly diagnosed nondiabetic hypertensive patients.

KEYWORDS:

• Uric acid
• ascending aortic dilatation
• hypertension
• non-diabetes
• risk factor

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province [No. 2015A030313660]; Science and Technology Program of Guangzhou [No. 201510010254, No. 201604020018, No. 201604020143, No. 201604020186,No.201803040012]; Medical Science and Technology Research Fund of Guangdong Province [No. B2018023]; National Key Research and Development Program of China [No. 2016YFC1301305, No. 2017FYC1307603]; Science and Technology Program of Guangdong Province [No. 2014B020212008] .