Pre- and Postdialysis Uric Acid Difference and Risk of Long-Term All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortalities in Japanese Hemodialysis Patients; Miyazaki Dialysis Cohort Study

Background/Aims: Uric acid (UA) levels are affected by changes in dialysis; however, the relationship between the pre- and postdialysis UA difference (UAD) and mortality remains unclear. Methods: A total of 1,073 patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis (HD) were enrolled in this cohort study and followed up for 5 years. Patients were divided into quartile categories according to baseline UAD. Cox’s regression analyses were used to investigate the relationship between UAD categories and all-cause and cardiovascular (CV) mortalities while adjusting for potential confounders. Results: A total of 280 patients died of all causes, including 121 CV deaths, during the follow-up. In the analysis for all-cause mortality, hazard ratios were significantly higher in the lowest UAD group (< 4.7 mg/dL) than in the highest UAD group (> 6.2 mg/dL). A correlation was not observed with CV mortality. Conclusion: UAD correlated with all-cause mortality. UAD may be the most appropriate reference for controlling UA in HD patients.