Correlation between the increase in serum uric acid and the rapid decline in kidney function in adults with normal kidney function: a retrospective study in Urumqi, China

Abstract

BackgroundTo examine the association between elevated serum uric acid (SUA) levels and the rapid decline in kidney function by conducting a retrospective cohort study on a physically healthy population in Urumqi, China.MethodsA cohort study of 2,802 physically healthy people with a normal estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was investigated from 2018 to 2021. The examination procedure included using questionnaires, taking physical measurements, and blood sampling. The rapid decline in kidney function was defined as eGFR > 5 mL·min–1 ·(1.73 m2 )–1 year. The relationship between elevated SUA levels and the rapid decline in kidney function was assessed.ResultsWhen performing the three-year retrospective analysis, 688 (28.55%) cases experienced a rapid decline in kidney function, and 52 (1.9%) cases developed chronic kidney disease (CKD). They were divided into the stable group and the rapidly declining kidney function group according to eGFR > 15 mL·min–1·(1.73 m2 )–1. The comparison revealed a greater increase in uric acid in the rapidly declining kidney function group [0.30 (-0.29, 0.82) mg/dL vs. − 0.07(-0.54, 0.37) mg/dL, Z = − 8.822, P < 0.001]. The participants were further divided into four groups according to their uric acid levels in 2018 and 2021, which included the normal to normal (N-N) group, the normal to hyperuricemia (HUA) (N-H) group, the HUA to normal (H-N) group, and the persistently HUA (H-H) group. The decrease in eGFR was significantly higher in the N-H group than in the other three groups (χ2 = 20.580, P < 0.001). The results of the multifactorial logistic regression analysis showed that elevated uric acid was a risk factor for the rapid decline in kidney function (OR = 1.640, P < 0.001).ConclusionElevated SUA levels were a risk factor for the rapid decline in kidney function in the Chinese health examination population. Higher SUA levels might predict the occurrence of progressive kidney impairment.