Impact of alcohol intake on the relationships of uric acid with blood pressure and cardiac hypertrophy in essential hypertension

Abstract Background Hyperuricemia, which is frequently associated with hypertension, can be caused by alcohol intake. To date, limited data have shown the link between alcohol intake and hyperuricemic hypertension. Methods We retrospectively examined the influence of alcohol intake on the relationship between the uric acid level and blood pressure or cardio-metabolic parameters in 171 untreated non-failing hypertensive patients (mean 59.3 ± 10.7 years). Cross-sectional analysis was separately performed in regular alcohol drinkers (more than 25 g/day ethanol, n = 74, 82.4% men) and non-drinkers ( n = 97, 33.0% men). Results Diastolic blood pressure was significantly higher in drinkers than in non-drinkers (101.6 ± 11.5 mmHg vs. 96.8 ± 8.2 mmHg, p < 0.01). Estimated glomerular filtration rate (80.4 ± 14.7 mL/min/1.73 m2 vs. 80.0 ± 17.8 mL/min/1.73 m2 ) and body mass index (BMI, 24.7 ± 4.4 kg/m2 vs. 24.8 ± 4.2 kg/m2 ) were similar in the two groups. In the drinker group, the uric acid level (mean 6.3 ± 1.7 mg/dL) was positively correlated with both systolic and diastolic blood pressures ( r = 0.270/ p = 0.020 and r = 0.354/ p = 0.0020, respectively), and with the markers of cardiac hypertrophy, including electrocardiographic voltage (V1 S + V5 R, r = 0.244/ p = 0.042) and echocardiographic left ventricular mass index ( r = 0.270/ p = 0.026). These correlations were also observed in the male drinker sub-group. In the non-drinkers, the uric acid level (mean 5.0 ± 1.4 mg/dL) was positively correlated with BMI ( r = 0.369/ p = 0.0002) but not with blood pressure or the markers of cardiac hypertrophy. Conclusions The results suggest that the role of uric acid in blood pressure might differ between hypertensive drinkers and non-drinkers. In regular alcohol drinkers, there was a positive association of uric acid level with blood pressure and the severity of cardiac hypertrophy. In non-regular drinkers, an increased uric acid level is likely to be closely associated with increased BMI.