Serum Uric Acid and Hypertension in Adults: A Paradoxical Relationship in Type 1 Diabetes

Adults with type 1 diabetes have lower serum uric acid levels compared with nondiabetic adults. Little is known about the relationship between serum uric acid and blood pressure in type 1 diabetes and whether it differs from the positive relationship found in nondiabetic adults. The authors assessed the cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships over 6 years between serum uric acid and blood pressure in adults with (35 +/- 9years [n=393]) and without (38 +/- 9years [n=685]) type 1 diabetes in the Coronary Artery Calcification in Type 1 Diabetes study. In nondiabetic adults, serum uric acid was associated with systolic blood pressure in multivariable models adjusted for cardiovascular risk factors. In adults with type 1 diabetes, a negative association was observed between serum uric acid and systolic blood pressure after multivariable adjustments. A positive association was observed between serum uric acid and systolic blood pressure in nondiabetic adults. In contrast, an inverse relationship was demonstrated after multivariable adjustments in type 1 diabetes.