Abstract 17122: Serum Uric Acid and Risk of Incident Hypertension in an Occupational Cohort Study in China

IntroductionThe link on hyperuricemia with cardiovascular disease especially hypertension has been hypothesized for a long time, albeit uncertainties remain concerning the causality of the observed associations between serum uric acid (SUA) and risk of hypertension.HypothesisSUA may play a role in the development of hypertension among Chinese occupational populations.MethodsWe analyzed data from an ongoing occupational cohort study (Jinchang Cohort) and quantified the independent association between uric acid concentration and incident hypertension via Cox proportional hazards models. Hypertension was defined as blood pressure >140/90 mmHg or taking antihypertensive medication.ResultsAmong 23,745 participants without diagnosed hypertension at baseline (2011-2013), there were 2,415 incident cases of hypertension during a median of 2.2 years of follow-up. The mean age of the participants at baseline was 43.5±11.5 years and the mean SUA concentration was 5.0±1.7 mg/dl. The crude hazard ratio (HR) for incident hypertension was 1.00 for the 1 quartile concentration of SUA (lowest), 1.10 (0.96-1.25) for the 2 quartile, 1.42 (1.26-1.61) for the 3 quartile, and 1.61 (1.43-1.82) for the 4 quartile (highest) (P for trend < 0.001). After fully adjusting for potential confounders including occupation, a significant association between SUA and incident hypertension still remained (4 vs. 1 quartile = 1.14, 95% CI = 1.01-1.31). However, no positive trend was observed between SUA and P for trend = 0.09). Further, when modeled as a continuous variable, SUA remained significantly association with incident hypertension even in the fully adjusted model (per 1 mg/dL, HR=1.03, 95%CI1.00-1.06; P = 0.05).ConclusionsSUA was independently associated with risk of incident hypertension among Chinese occupational workers indicating that SUA may play a role in hypertension development. This study support the notion that hyperuricemia may be a useful tool to help stratify risk for cardiovascular disease.