PREVALENCE OF HYPERURICAEMIA AND OTHER CORRELATES OF KIDNEY IMPAIRMENT IN CARIBBEAN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES

Background: Hyperuricaemia is an independent risk factor for the decline in kidney function, and its incidence increases with the progression of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) staging.

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

Methods: This is a retrospective study conducted between January 2014 and December 2014 comprising of a total of 968 patients with diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and chronic kidney disease. Blood sample collected from each subject was analysed for glucose, serum uric acid, blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, lipid profile, liver enzymes and albumin. Anthropometric indices such as height, weight, waist circumference, age, gender, education, occupation, and medical history including medications were obtained from each subject.

Results: Compared to patients with normal serum uric acid (SUA) levels, patients with raised 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). Correlation studies between SUA, e-GFR, BUN, serum creatinine, body mass index, (BMI), waist circumsference (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 further emphasizes the well established association between hyperuricaemia and chronic kidney disease. However, the measures already put in place in the lifestyle clinics need to be sustained to check any trend towards increase in serum uric acid levels in the patients.