Relationship between carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity and uric acid in subjects with hypertension and hyperuricemia.

Increasing of arterial stiffness is the pathophysiological characteristic of hypertension. Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (CF-PWV) is an index of arterial stiffness. Serum uric acid has been found to be involved the development of hypertension. We investigated the relationship between CF-PWV and serum uric acid in subjects with hypertension and hyperuricemia. 651 subjects (M/F 271/380) were divided into four groups, group 1: subjects without hypertension and hyperuricemia; group 2: hypertension subjects without hyperuricemia; group 3: hyperuricemia subjects without hypertension; group 4: subjects with hypertension and hyperuricemia. CF-PWV was measured by Complior apparatus. Results showed that levels of CF-PWV (10.75 ± 2.03 vs. 10.06 ± 1.98 m/s, p < 0.001) and serum uric acid (319.33 ± 80.12 vs. 298.78 ± 74.88 umol/L, p = 0.001) were significantly higher in hypertensive (groups 2 + 4) group than in normotensive (groups 1 + 3) group. CF-PWV was significantly higher in group 4 than group 1, group 2 and group 3 (ANOVA analysis: F = 13.348, p < 0.001; 11.78 ± 2.10 vs. 9.98 ± 1.98, 10.52 ± 1.93, 10.56 ± 1.99 m/s, all p < 0.05, respectively). There was positive correlation between CF-PWV and serum uric acid in entire study group (r = 0.187, p < 0.001), even after adjusting for gender, body mass index, systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (r = 0.100, p = 0.015). Multiple linear regressions showed that SBP, age, benzbromarone, statin and serum uric acid were independent associating factors of CFPWV in all subjects (β = 0.310, p < 0.001; β = 0.330, p < 0.001; β = 0.172, p = 0.002; β = -0.143, p = 0.006; β = 0.126, p = 0.027; respectively). In conclusions, CF-PWV was significantly higher in hypertension subjects with hyperuricemia compared to hypertension without hyperuricemia subjects, and serum uric acid was an independent associating factor of CF-PWV.