Serum Uric Acid Levels: From Pathophysiological to Biochemical and Pharmacological Perspectives; an Observational Research in General Population from Sindh, Pakistan

Abstract

Uric acid has been an important compound with diverse effects on body systems mainly due to the life style changes resulting into arthritis, renal stones, arthralgia and metabolic syndrome. It disturbs the biochemical and normal physiological process following disturbances in purine metabolism either increased synthesis or reduced elimination. Management is based on dietary restriction of protein diet and use of certain pharmacological agents. This observational study was conducted on general population from different areas of rural and urban Sindh on apparently healthy individuals. For study purpose 3000 volunteers were selected through consecutive sampling from both male and female sexes with age range 10 years to 60 years through informed written consent as a study requirement. Serum uric acid was measured through device method, SPSS 22nd version was used for data analysis, the male female proportion was kept equal at 1:1 with 1500(50%) male and 1500(50%) females. Population mean uric acid was 4.8mg/dl with a standard deviation of 1.1mg/dl and a range of 9.2mg/dl where 3.7mg/dl was minimum and 12.9 mg/dl as maximum, hyperuricemia (>6.8mg/dl) was found in15.73 % (472) of the population while 84.27% (2528) patients were found as normal or border line uric acid levels. Mean of uric acid was 4.7+1.2mg/dl in males and 4.2+1.4 mg/dl in females the difference was none- significant statistically (p-0.25)

Conclusion: Hyperuricemia was observed in 15.73% of individuals with non-significant difference among the two genders.