Scientists investigating the association between serum uric acid levels and renal function in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have observed that adult T2DM patients with high levels of serum uric acid are more likely to progress to advanced chronic kidney disease.
The research paper, “Serum uric acid level as an indicator for CKD regression and progression in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus — a 4.6-year cohort study,” was published in Diabetes Metabolism Research and Reviews.
To understand if there was a correlation between levels of serum uric acid and chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression and regression, the team studied T2DM patients with a follow-up of at least three years, categorizing them into stable, progression and regression groups according to CKD stage.
Uric acid levels, the medication possession rate, and other metabolic factors, such as body weight and lipid profile, were measured and registered to investigate possible correlations with CKD development. The study enrolled a total of 2,367 T2DM patients, with a mean follow-up of 4.6 years, and distributed them into the different CKD groups, with 1,133 patients (47.9 percent) in the stable group, 487 (20.6 percent) in the progression group and 747 (31.5 percent) in the regression group.
Results revealed that the progression disease group had the highest level of serum uric acid (mean 6.9 mg/dL), while the regression group, defined as improving to an earlier CKD stage, had the lowest uric acid level (mean 5.4 mg/dL).
Moreover, researchers found that a lower level of serum uric acid was the only metabolic difference between patients in the regression group and patients in the stable disease group. The team also found that serum uric acid is associated with CKD progression when its value exceeds 6.3 mg/dL and that lower uric acid levels could improve the status and prognosis of T2DM patients with stage 3 to stage 5 CKD.
“Our data indicated that the serum uric acid level is associated with CKD regression and progression and suggested that a high normal serum uric acid level should be closely monitored in patients with T2DM,” the authors wrote.