Background: Experimental studies have reported that allopurinol protects hypertensive rats from left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) with negligible effects on blood pressure (BP). Uric acid (UA) was thought to induce cardiomyocyte growth and interstitial fibrosis of the heart, partly via activation of the renin-angiotensin system. In the present study, the relationship between serum UA levels and electrocardiographically-diagnosed LVH (ECG-LVH) was examined in Japanese men not taking medication for hypertension (HTN), which could confound the association.
Methods and results: A total of 3,305 male workers aged 35-66 years (mean age+/-SD, 48.0+/-7.1) were studied. LVH was defined as meeting the ECG criteria (ie, Sokolow-Lyon voltage and/or Cornell voltage QRS duration product). Subjects were divided into 3 groups by tertile of serum UA level. The highest tertile (UA range 0.39-0.65 mmol/L or 6.6-11.0 mg/dl) had a significantly increased prevalence of LVH compared with the lowest tertile independent of age, body mass index, serum creatinine level, HTN, diabetes and hyperlipidemia (odds ratio 1.58, 95% confidence interval 1.23-2.02, P<0.001). Similar results were obtained in both the normal and high BP subgroups.
Conclusions: UA concentration independently and positively associated with ECG-LVH in Japanese men.