title: Serum uric acid is not independently associated with plasma renin activity and plasma aldosterone in hypertensive adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In experimental investigations conducted in rats, raising serum uric acid (SUA) levels resulted in the stimulation of intrarenal renin expression. Studies in humans exploring the association of SUA with plasma renin activity (PRA) yielded conflicting results. Moreover, little is known about the relationship of SUA with plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC). The study aimed to assess the relationship between SUA levels, PRA, and PAC and the influence of age, gender, body mass index (BMI), and hyperuricemia on these relationships in subjects with essential hypertension (EH).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We enrolled 372 hypertensive patients (mean age 45 ± 12 years, men 67%) with uncomplicated EH that was not pharmacologically treated. The study population was divided in tertiles according to SUA levels. While PRA did not differ significantly across the three tertiles, PAC was higher in subjects belonging to the uppermost tertile of SUA than those in the lower ones (p = 0.0429); however, this difference lost statistical significance after adjustment for age, sex, BMI, and serum creatinine. Univariate correlation analyses showed significant associations of SUA with PRA (r = 0.137; p = 0.008) and PAC (r = 0.179; p < 0.001). However, these relationships were not significant after correcting for confounding factors in multiple linear regression analyses. We did not observe statistically significant effect modification by gender, age, BMI, and hyperuricemia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SUA levels are weakly associated with PRA and PAC in adults with untreated EH. These relationships were lost after adjustment for age, sex, BMI, and serum creatinine.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento Biomedico di Medicina Interna e Specialistica (DIBIMIS), Unit of Nephrology and Hypertension, European Society of Hypertension Excellence Center, University of Palermo, Italy. Electronic address: giuseppe.mule@unipa.it.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mulè
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento Biomedico di Medicina Interna e Specialistica (DIBIMIS), Unit of Nephrology and Hypertension, European Society of Hypertension Excellence Center, University of Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Castiglia
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento Biomedico di Medicina Interna e Specialistica (DIBIMIS), Unit of Nephrology and Hypertension, European Society of Hypertension Excellence Center, University of Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morreale
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento Biomedico di Medicina Interna e Specialistica (DIBIMIS), Unit of Nephrology and Hypertension, European Society of Hypertension Excellence Center, University of Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Geraci
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento Biomedico di Medicina Interna e Specialistica (DIBIMIS), Unit of Nephrology and Hypertension, European Society of Hypertension Excellence Center, University of Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cusumano
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento Biomedico di Medicina Interna e Specialistica (DIBIMIS), Unit of Nephrology and Hypertension, European Society of Hypertension Excellence Center, University of Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guarino
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento Biomedico di Medicina Interna e Specialistica (DIBIMIS), Unit of Nephrology and Hypertension, European Society of Hypertension Excellence Center, University of Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Altieri
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento Biomedico di Medicina Interna e Specialistica (DIBIMIS), Unit of Nephrology and Hypertension, European Society of Hypertension Excellence Center, University of Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Panzica
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento Biomedico di Medicina Interna e Specialistica (DIBIMIS), Unit of Nephrology and Hypertension, European Society of Hypertension Excellence Center, University of Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vaccaro
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento Biomedico di Medicina Interna e Specialistica (DIBIMIS), Unit of Nephrology and Hypertension, European Society of Hypertension Excellence Center, University of Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cottone
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000450:Aldosterone / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001794:Blood Pressure; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D033461:Hyperuricemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D007668:Kidney / Q000503:physiopathology; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012083:Renin / Q000097:blood*; D012084:Renin-Angiotensin System; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D014527:Uric Acid; D000450:Aldosterone; D012083:Renin
keywords: Arterial hypertension; Blood pressure; Essential hypertension; Plasma aldosterone; Plasma renin activity; Uric acid