Research Article
Kidney Dis
Hyperuricemia and Impaired Renal
Function: A Prospective Cohort Study
Noppawit Aiumtrakul Puvanant Wiputhanuphongs Ouppatham Supasyndh
Bancha Satirapoj
Department of Medicine, Phramongkutklao Hospital and College of Medicine, Bangkok, Thailand
Received: July 21, 2019
Accepted: August 27, 2020
Published online: November 6, 2020
Noppawit Aiumtrakul
Department of Medicine, Phramongkutklao College of Medicine
Ratchawithi Rd., Thung Phaya Thai
Bangkok 10400 (Thailand)
tan.niie @me.com
© 2020 The Author(s).
Published by S. Karger AG, Basel
karger@karger.com
www.karger.com/kdd
DOI: 10.1159/000511196
Keywords
Glomerular filtration rate · Hyperuricemia
Abstract
Background: Related studies have demonstrated a relation-
ship of elevated serum uric levels with a decline in kidney
function. However, limited evidence exists in a Southeast
Asian community-based population. Objective: The study
aimed to examine the relationship between serum uric acid
levels and impaired renal function. Methods: A prospective
cohort study was conducted in the Thai army health checkup
population between July 1, 2006 and December 31, 2012.
Inclusion criteria included age older than 20 years and base-
line estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) over 60 mL/
min/1.73 m
2
. Cox regression analysis was used to evaluate
the association between incidence of impaired renal func-
tion and baseline serum uric acid quartiles. Impaired renal
function was defined as eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m
2
over 3
months. Results: A total of 9,534 participants (7,474 men and
2,060 women) were enrolled. Cox regression analysis re-
vealed a significant association of serum uric acid level with
impaired renal function in the whole population as the un-
adjusted hazard ratio (HR) (95% CI) of impaired renal func-
tion in second, third, and fourth quartiles were 2.1 (1.39,
3.17), 2.39 (1.6, 3.59), and 3.94 (2.71, 5.74), respectively, when
compared with serum uric acid in the first quartile, respec-
tively. After adjusting in 2 models, the HR still significantly
persisted with similar magnitudes in all quartiles. Higher in-
cidences of impaired renal function were observed among
males than among females in all quartiles. Kaplan-Meier
curve showed better renal survival rate in the lower quartile
groups. Linear regression analysis showed that eGFR nega-
tively correlated with serum uric acid (r = -0.213, p < 0.001).
Conclusion: Our study suggests that an independent asso-
ciation exists of serum uric acid levels with the incidence of
impaired renal function and renal progression in the South-
east Asian community-based population.
© 2020 The Author(s).
Published by S. Karger AG, Basel
Introduction
CKD has been proven as a risk factor for cardiovascu-
lar disease and mortality [1]. It has a high global preva-
lence, causing high economic costs to health systems [2,
3], and CKD often progresses to ESRD, requiring renal
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