title: Uric acid levels predict future blood pressure and new onset hypertension in the general Japanese population.
abstract: We tested the hypothesis that uric acid levels predict new-onset hypertension in the Japanese general population. Normotensive individuals who visited our hospital for a yearly health checkup (n=8157, men=61.0% and age=50.7±12.2 years) were enrolled in the present study. After baseline evaluation, participants were followed up for a median of 48.3 months (range 4.9-101.0 months), with the endpoint being the development of hypertension, defined as systolic blood pressure (BP) > or = 140 mm Hg, diastolic BP > or = 90 mm Hg or the use of antihypertensive medication. The impact of uric acid and other cardiovascular risk factors at baseline on future BP and development of hypertension was assessed. During follow-up, 19.0% of women (n=605) and 29.5% of men (n=1469) participants developed hypertension. Incident hypertension was increased across the quartiles for baseline uric acid levels (P<0.0001), and multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis revealed a significant and independent association between the uric acid level and the onset of hypertension in both men and women participants (P<0.05). Furthermore, uric acid was independently and positively correlated with future BP (P<0.05). Thus, uric acid is an independent predictor of new-onset hypertension in both women and men.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Enshu Hospital, Hamamatsu, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takase
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Asahi Rosai Hospital, Owariasahi, Japan.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardio-Renal Medicine and Hypertension, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dohi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D044466:Asian People; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D033461:Hyperuricemia / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology*; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D015854:Up-Regulation; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D014527:Uric Acid