Hyperuricaemia and its Relations with Serum Lipid Abnormalities in Untreated, Newly Diagnosed Adult Nigerian Hypertensive Patients

Aims: To determine the prevalence of hyperuricaemia in adult Nigerians with untreated newly diagnosed hypertension and to evaluate its relations with serum lipid abnormalities.
Study Design: Cross-sectional study.
Place and Duration of Study: General Out-patient Department, Medical Out-patient Department and Emergency Room of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Nigeria between May 2007 and October 2007.
Methodology: One hundred and fifty (150) untreated newly diagnosed hypertensive patients 18 years and above and one hundred and fifteen (115) age and sex-matched normotensive individuals were recruited into the study. Thorough clinical evaluation and laboratory investigations were done for both patients and controls including serum uric acid and serum lipid profile. Atherogenic ratio (Total cholesterol/Low density lipoprotein-cholesterol) was calculated for both patients and controls.
Results: Of the one hundred and fifty newly diagnosed hypertensive patients, 52 (34.7%) were males and 98 (65.3%) females, with a range of 19-85 years and a mean age (±SD) of 50.4±12.3 years. Among the normotensive controls, 49 (42.6%) were males and 66 (57.4%) females with range of 23-80 years and a mean (±SD) of 50.7±12.7 yrs. Mean serum UA in hypertensive patients and normotensive controls was 0.4±0.1 mmol/l and 0.3±0.1 mmol/l respectively. Hyperuricaemia was found in 36.7% of hypertensive patients and 17.4% of normotensive controls (P<0.001). Serum UA was significantly higher in hypertensive patients than in normotensive controls (P<0.0001). Among hypertensive patients high TC and high LDL-c were the most prevalent types of serum lipid abnormalities. There was a significant positive correlation between serum UA and TG (r=0.21, P = 0.01).
Conclusion: The study shows that hyperuricaemia and serum lipid abnormalities are prevalent among adult Nigerians with hypertension. There was a significant correlation between serum uric acid and serum triglyceride. This study recommends routine measurement of serum uric acid in both newly diagnosed hypertensive patients as well as those on antihypertensive drugs.