Aims: Increased uric acid levels are associated with kidney dysfunction. We tested the hypothesis that uric acid level predicts future development of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the general population. Methods: For this study, we enrolled 7,078 consecutive subjects with normal estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFR; ≧60 ml/min/1.73 m2) who visited our hospital for a yearly health checkup (age: 52.8 ± 10.7 years; female: 35.8%). Subjects underwent a routine physical examination and laboratory assessment of cardiovascular disease risk factors at enrollment, and were followed up for 1,694 days (median) with the endpoint being the development of CKD (eGFR <60 ml/min/1.73 m2). The impact of uric acid and other cardiovascular risk factors at baseline on the future development of CKD were assessed. Results: During the follow-up period, 417 male (9.2%) and 151 female subjects (6.0%) developed CKD. Univariate logistic regression analysis revealed a significant association between the onset of CKD and age, male gender, body mass index, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, dyslipidemia and uric acid. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that new-onset CKD was independently correlated with the baseline uric acid level after adjustment for possible factors. Subanalysis showed similar results in subjects with normal uric acid levels (male: ≤7.0 mg/dl; female: ≤6.0 mg/dl; n = 6,223). Conclusion: Uric acid is an independent predictor of future development of CKD. Whether preventing an increase in uric acid levels reduces the incidence of CKD must be clarified by prospective follow-up studies.
The present study investigated factors that modify or affect arterial stiffness as assessed by brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) in the general population. Subjects had previously participated in a physical checkup program (n ¼ 911), and baPWV and urinary albumin and sodium excretion were also measured. Urine albumin was expressed as the ratio of urine albumin to urine creatinine. Individual salt intake was assessed by estimating 24-h urinary salt excretion and expressed as the ratio of estimated salt intake to body weight. The mean blood pressure and baPWV were 127.1±15.2/77.0±9.5 mm Hg and 15.9±3.3 m s À1 , respectively. Univariate analysis demonstrated that baPWV correlated with various factors including age, blood pressure, electrocardiogram voltage (SV 1 þ RV 5 ), urine albumin and salt intake. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that electrocardiogram voltage (Po0.001), systolic blood pressure (Po0.0001), urine albumin (Po0.001) and salt intake (Po0.001), independently correlated with baPWV after adjustment for other possible factors. Similar results were obtained for participants not taking any medication. These results suggest that the baPWV value is independently associated with individual salt intake and cardiac and renal damage, and could be a useful procedure for identifying individuals with concealed risk of cardiovascular disease.
Background: Diagnosis of left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction by blood testing is expedient in the clinical setting.
Methods and Results:In 98 patients with LV ejection fraction ≥50% who underwent cardiac catheterization for evaluation of coronary artery disease, LV pressure (LVP) was measured using a catheter-tipped micromanometer. A time constant, τ, of LV relaxation was computed from LVP decay; the inertia force (IF) of late systolic aortic flow, a surrogate index of LV elastic recoil, was also computed from the LVP−dP/dt relation (phase loop). Patients were classified into 2 groups: those with impaired LV relaxation (τ ≥48 ms) and those with preserved LV relaxation (τ <48 ms). Patients were also classified into another 2 groups: those with IF (≥0.5 mmHg) and those without (<0.5 mmHg). Plasma N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) ≥56.5 pg/ml had a sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 52.5%, and negative predictive value of 100% for identifying impaired LV relaxation. NT-proBNP ≥244.5 pg/ml had a sensitivity of 62.5% and specificity of 93.9% for detecting lack of IF.
Conclusions:NT-proBNP level <56.5 pg/ml could be used as a value to sensitively identify patients with preserved LV systolic and diastolic function among those with coronary artery disease. NT-proBNP level ≥244.5 pg/ml is able to specifically detect a lack of IF and has potential for specifically diagnosing LV isolated diastolic dysfunction. (Circ J 2012; 76: 2599 - 2605
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