Serum uric acid and blood pressure among adolescents: data from the Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan (NAHSIT) 2010-2011

Purpose Elevated serum uric acid (UA) is frequently observed in adults with high blood pressure (BP); however, data from adolescents are limited. We examined the association between serum UA and BP in a nationally representative sample of Taiwan adolescents. Material and methods Some 1384 participants, aged 14-19 years, from the Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan 2010-2011 were included for the study. Elevated BP was defined as systolic or diastolic BP >= 120/80 mmHg. The analyses examined the relationship between serum UA and BP using linear regression and odds ratios of having an elevated BP using logistic regression. Results In this study population, the mean age was 16.0 years, mean serum UA was 5.8 mg/dL, 22.5% were obese (body mass index >= 24 kg/m(2)) and 9.8% had an elevated BP. Compared to girls, boys are more likely to be obese and to have higher serum UA and BP. After full adjustments, systolic BP, diastolic BP and mean arterial pressure increased 0.45, 0.48 and 0.47 mmHg, respectively, for each 1-mg/dL increase in UA (p = 0.07, 0.03 and 0.02, respectively). The odds of having an elevated BP were 3.4 times higher in subjects of the upper tertile of serum UA than those of the lower tertile (p = 0.02). Conclusion Adolescents with factors as male, obesity, and UA >= 5.5 mg/dL were prone to have an elevated BP, regardless of age and family history of hypertension. The present study found that serum UA levels are significantly correlated to BP in Taiwanese adolescents.