Serum uric acid and risk for development of hypertension and impaired fasting glucose or Type II diabetes in Japanese male office workers

Abstract

We examined the association of serum uric acid (SUA) with development of hypertension (blood pressure ≥ 140/90 mmHg and/or medication for hypertension) and impaired fasting glucose (IFG) (a fasting plasma glucose level 6.1–6.9 mmol/l) or Type II (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes (a fasting plasma glucose level ≥ 7.0 mmol/l and/or medication for diabetes) over a 6-year follow-up among 2310 Japanese male office workers aged 35–59 years who did not have hypertension, IFG, Type II diabetes, or past history of cardiovascular disease at study entry. After controlling for potential predictors of hypertension and diabetes, the relative risk for hypertension compared with quintile 1 of SUA level was 1.27 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.00–1.62] for quintile 2, 1.34 (95% CI: 1.08–1.74) for quintile 3, 1.48 (95% CI: 1.18–1.89) for quintile 4, and 1.58 (95% CI: 1.26–1.99) for quintile 5 (p for trend <0.001). The respective multivariate-adjusted relative risks for IFG or Type II diabetes compared with quintile 1 of SUA level were 1.55 (95% CI: 0.95–2.63), 1.62 (95% CI: 0.98–2.67), 1.61 (95% CI: 1.01–2.58), and 1.78 (95% CI: 1.11–2.85) (p for trend = 0.030). The association between SUA level and risk for hypertension and IFG or Type II diabetes was stronger among men with a body mass index (BMI) <24.2 kg/m2 than among men with a BMI ≥ 24.2 kg/m2, although the absolute risk was greater in more obese men. These results indicate that SUA level is closely associated with an increased risk for hypertension and IFG or Type II diabetes.