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Title: Healthy People With Elevated Levels of Uric Acid at Risk of Kidney Disease
URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/22CA12.htm
Doctor's Guide
September 17, 2008

WASHINGTON, DC -- September 17, 2008 -- Elevated uric acid levels in the blood indicate an increased risk of new-onset kidney disease, according to a study published early online and appearing in the December 2008 issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology.

The results suggest that it may be appropriate to prescribe uric acid-lowering drugs, such as allopurinol and probenecid, to these otherwise healthy individuals.

Rudolf Obermayr, MD, Sozialmedizinisches Zentrum Ost der Stadt Wien, Vienna, Austria, and colleagues aimed to determine the risks of elevated levels of uric acid in healthy individuals, particularly as they relate to kidney disease.

The study included 21,475 healthy volunteers from Vienna. Researchers performed an initial examination and followed-up with 3 examinations over an average of 7 years.

Participants were categorised as having normal blood levels of uric acid, slightly elevated levels, or elevated levels. During follow-up examinations, the researchers assessed patients' glomerular filtration rates, noting that lower rates indicate decreased kidney function.

After eliminating all other potential risk factors that might contribute to kidney disease, the researchers determined that individuals in the slightly elevated uric acid group were 1.26 times as likely to develop kidney disease as those in the low uric acid group.

The odds of developing kidney disease among those in the elevated uric acid group were 1.63 times greater than that of individuals in the low uric acid group.

They also found that in groups with increasing uric acid, glomerular filtration rates decreased.

The risk of developing new-onset kidney disease was more evident in women than in men. It also was particularly high in individuals with hypertension.

According to Dr. Obermayr, this study indicates that clinical trials assessing the potential of uric acid-lowering drugs for preventing kidney disease should be initiated.

SOURCE: American Society of Nephrology

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