BACKGROUND:

Prehypertension increases the risk of hypertension, serum uric acid levels are also associated with increased risk of hypertension. Increased levels of resistin and/or decreased levels of adiponectin are associated with cardiovascular mortality and the development of hypertension.

OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate uric acid serum levels in normotensive, prehypertensive and hypertensive patients.

MATERIAL AND METHOD:

A clinical, cross-sectional study was made from January to June 2016 in which circulating levels of uric acid were measured (enzymatic method) in normotensive, prehypertensive and hypertensive patients. Statistical analysis was performed with ANOVA and Fisher test.

RESULTS:

Ninety normotensive, 90 prehypertensive and 90 hypertensive patients were included. Prehypertensive patients have significantly greater levels of uric acid than normotensive subjects (6.24±1.5 mg/dL vs 5.4±1.2 mg/dL, p=0.000206). We also observed that hypertensive patients had increased, although non-significantly, values of uric acid than prehypertensive subjects (6.7±2 mg/dL, p=0.99). We also found a significantly association between hyperuricemia and prehypertension (p=0.015 IC 95%; 1.18-3.99).

CONCLUSIONS:

Prehypertensive patients had greater levels of uric acid when compared with normotensive subjects, this may explain why prehypertensive patients shown increased risk for hypertension than normotensive patients.