Significance of Hypouricaemia in the Development of Neurodegenerative Diseases

Abstract

Abstract Hypouricaemia has received relatively little attention in the literature. As a result, there is less awareness or understanding of the potential risks of low uric acid levels. Emerging research indicates that normal uric acid levels may have an antioxidative and neuroprotective effect. This study aims to investigate possible associations between hypouricaemia and neurodegenerative disease. Data was collected from seventy-seven outpatients and inpatients who underwent routine uric acid testing, who were then stratified into patients with and without neurodegenerative disease. Patients with renal pathologies and patients using uric acid altering medications were excluded from the study. There was a significant difference in the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease between hypouricemic and normouricemic patients (p = 0.001), however there was no difference in the prevalence of vascular dementia (p = 0.45). This study provides evidence that hypouricaemia has potential effects on health, specifically on the rate of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and gives weight to the potential neuroprotective role of uric acid.