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Multicenter Study
. 2011 Oct;6(10):2470-7.
doi: 10.2215/CJN.00670111. Epub 2011 Aug 25.

Uric acid levels and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in the hemodialysis population

Walead Latif  1 , Angelo Karaboyas, Lin Tong, James F Winchester, Charlotte J Arrington, Ronald L Pisoni, Mark R Marshall, Werner Kleophas, Nathan W Levin, Ananda Sen, Bruce M Robinson, Rajiv Saran
Affiliations
Multicenter Study

Uric acid levels and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in the hemodialysis population

Walead Latif et al. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2011 Oct.

Abstract

Background and objectives: Hyperuricemia is associated with hypertension, coronary artery disease, and chronic kidney disease. However, there are no specific data on the relationship of uric acid to cardiovascular disease in the chronic hemodialysis setting.

Design, setting, participants, & measurements: Data from 5827 patients on chronic hemodialysis from six countries affiliated with the Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS) were analyzed. All laboratory data were based upon the initial cross-section of patients in DOPPS I and II. Cox regression was used to calculate the hazard ratio (HR) of all-cause and cardiovascular (CV) mortality with adjustments for case-mix including 14 classes of comorbidity.

Results: There were no clinically significant differences in baseline characteristics between those who had measured uric acid (n = 4637) and those who did not (n = 1190). Uric acid level was associated with lower all-cause mortality (HR: 0.95, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.90 to 1.00 per 1 mg/dl higher uric acid level) and CV mortality (HR: 0.92, 95% CI: 0.86 to 0.99). When analyzed as a dichotomous variable, the adjusted HR at uric acid ≤8.2 mg/dl compared with >8.2 mg/dl was 1.24 (95% CI: 1.03 to 1.49) for all-cause mortality and 1.54 (95% CI: 1.15 to 2.07) for CV mortality.

Conclusions: Higher uric acid levels were associated with lower risk of all-cause and CV mortality in the hemodialysis population. These results are in contrast to the association of hyperuricemia with higher cardiovascular risk in the general population and should be the subject of further research.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Distribution of serum uric acid concentrations.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Distribution of serum uric acid, by DOPPS country and phase.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Quintiles of serum uric acid. (A) All-cause mortality and (B) cardiovascular mortality. CI, confidence interval; HR, hazard ratio; Ref., reference.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Serum uric acid and mortality—levels of adjustment. BMI, body mass index; CI, confidence interval; CV, cardiovascular; DOPPS, Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study; HR, hazard ratio.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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