The association between plasma uric acid and renal function decline in a Chinese population-based cohort

Background. Uric acid may be associated with kidney damage through multiple pathways. Previous cohort studies revealed inconsistent results, and research among the non-hypertensive and non-diabetic population are extremely limited. Methods. This prospective cohort study included 1410 residents aged 59.1 +/- 9.4 years from an urban district of Beijing, China. All participants had an estimated glomerular filtration rate >60 mL/min/1.73m(2). Plasma uric acid was assessed at baseline; and its relation with renal function decline after 4 years' follow-up was analyzed. Results. During 4 years (5630 person-years) of follow-up, 168 patients (11.9%) developed renal function decline. After adjusting for potential confounders including baseline renal function, plasma uric acid levels were independently associated with an increased risk of renal function decline, with a fully adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 1.19 [per 1 mg/dL increase; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04-1.38]. Analysis among 615 hypertension-free and diabetes-free participants yielded similar results, with an adjusted OR of 1.50 (per 1 mg/dL increase; 95% CI 1.13-1.98). Conclusion. Our prospective cohort study revealed that plasma uric acid level is independently associated with an increasing likelihood of renal function decline.