Plasma uric acid and hypertension in a Chinese community: prospective study and metaanalysis.
BACKGROUND
Hyperuricemia has been positively associated with hypertension, but whether this association is independent of adiposity and other cardiovascular risk factors remains a matter of debate.


METHODS
We conducted a community-based prospective cohort study comprising 7220 participants (mean age 37 years; 73.8% men) in the Qingdao Port Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in China, who were free from hypertension at study entry in 1999-2000. During 4-year follow-up, 1370 men (19.0%) and 208 women (11.0%) had developed hypertension.


RESULTS
After adjustment for age, body mass index, and other covariates, the relative risks (RRs) of developing hypertension comparing the highest and lowest uric acid quartiles were 1.55 (95% CI 1.10-2.19; P for trend <0.001) for men and 1.91 (1.12-3.25; P for trend <0.001) for women. After additional adjustment for abdominal obesity, the RRs comparing the participants in the highest and lowest quartiles of uric acid were 1.39 (1.16-1.68; P for trend 0.003) for men and 1.85 (1.06-3.24; P for trend 0.006) for women. In joint analysis, compared with those in the lowest uric acid quartile and without abdominal obesity, participants who were in the highest quartile and also had abdominal obesity had a 3.0- and 3.4-fold greater risk of incident hypertension (1.56-3.97 for men and 2.10-3.81 for women, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest a positive association between plasma uric acid and incidence of hypertension during short-term follow-up in a Chinese population. The association between hyperuricemia and hypertension was partly mediated by abdominal obesity.
Zhang
Weili
W
The Key Laboratory for Clinical Cardiovascular Genetics, Cardiovascular Institute and FuWai Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100037, China.
Sun
Kai
K
Yang
Ying
Y
Zhang
Hongye
H
Hu
Frank B
FB
Hui
Rutai
R
D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000097:blood*
D014527:Uric Acid