Determination of Hyperuricaemia and Other Correlates of Kidney Impairment in Caribbean Patients with Chronic Noncommunicable Diseases

Background: Hyperuricaemia is an independent risk factor for kidney function decline, and its occurrence increases as the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) staging progresses.

Aims: The study aim to discuss hyperuricaemia and its correlates in patients with chronic noncommunicable diseases in a developing economy.

Methods: A total of 968 patients with diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and chronic kidney disease were included in this retrospective study, which was conducted between January 2014 and December 2014. Each subject's blood was tested for glucose, serum uric acid, blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, lipid profile, liver enzymes, and albumin. Each subject provided anthropometric indices such as height, weight, waist circumference, age, gender, education, occupation, and medical history, including medications.

Results: Patients with raised serum uric acid (SUA) levels have higher mean age, systolic blood pressure (SBP), SUA, blood urea nitogen (BUN), triglycerides, albumin, and very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL) and lower mean value of estimated glomerular filtration rate (e-GFR) (P = 0.05) than patients with normal SUA levels. Correlation studies between SUA, e-GFR, BUN, serum creatinine, body mass index, (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and albumin shows strong association between SUA and these parameters (p<.0001). About 223 (23.34%) of the chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients have raised uric acid levels and 745 (76.96%) have normal uric acid levels.

Conclusion: This study emphasises the long-established link between hyperuricemia and chronic kidney disease. However, the measures already in place in lifestyle clinics must be sustained in order to prevent any trend toward an increase in serum uric acid levels in patients.