Correlation between serum uric acid levels and arterial stiffness in Uygur hypertensive patients

AIM To analyze the correlation between serum uric acid (SUA) level, blood pressure, blood uric acid level, brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) and carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) in Uygur hypertensive patients in Yanqi County of Xinjiang. METHODSA retrospective analysis was conducted in 206 hospitalized hypertensive patients from 2014-2015 in Yanqi County People's Hospital. According to the level of blood uric acid, patients were divided into hyperuricemia group (experimental group, n=149) and normal SUA group (control group, n=57). The experimental group was subdivided into group A (n=61) with SUA level<466 μmol/L and group B (n=88) with SUA value≥466 μmol/L. baPWV of all patients was measured with the same automatic detector and IMT was probed by the same technician. RESULTSStatistically significant difference was found in blood pressure levels, IMT and baPWV between the experimental group and control group and between the two subgroups in the experimental group (all P<0.05). Correlation analysis showed that blood pressure levels were positively correlated with SUA levels. CONCLUSIONSUA levels are of significance for predicting hypertension and arterial atherosclerosis. Blood pressure levels are positively correlated with SUA levels the higher uric acid levels, the more serious atherosclerotic plaques of the carotid artery.