The relation between uric acid level and blood pressure values among patients hospitalized in a department of internal medicine.

Abstract

The relationship between uric acid (UA) level and blood pressure (BP) is not clear, although most studies suggest BP reduction in patients treated with UA level lowering agents. The aim of the study was to evaluate the relationship between UA level and BP among patients hospitalized in a department of internal medicine. We also intended to investigate the relation between the allopurinol dose prescribed and BP. We reviewed hospital records of 561 patients (mean age: 65.46 ±17.46 years) hospitalized in a department of internal medicine, in whom UA level was determined on admission. We did not find a significant correlation between UA level and BP values in the whole group, nor in patients not taking any BP-lowering or any UA-lowering drug. Multivariable analysis showed that allopurinol dose was not independently related to BP. Age (OR = 1.04, 95% CI: 1.03-1.06 per 1 year), diabetes (OR = 1.90, 95% CI: 1.14-3.16), stage 2 (OR = 4.96, 95% CI: 2.15-11.46) and stage 3 obesity (OR = 13.66, 95% CI: 5.90-31.60), both vs. patients without stage 2/3 obesity, but not UA level, were independently related to the diagnosis of hypertension. Our study does not confirm an independent relationship between UA level and BP nor between UA lowering and BP in a population of hospitalized patients.