Uric acid is associated with nutritional status in maintenance hemodialysis patients

Abstract

Purines, mainly contained in meats, are metabolized finally to uric acid in humans. Although digestion of meat is impaired in end-stage renal disease patients on hemodialysis owing to anorexia and decreased taste, hyperuricemia is common in these patients. In this cross-sectional study, we analyzed demographic characteristics, normalized protein nitrogen appearance (nPNA), serum albumin concentration, and serum uric acid levels and other laboratory parameters in sixty patients on maintenance hemodialysis. There were 33 (55%) males and 27 (45%) females. The mean age was 62.9±14.3 years and the mean body mass index was 22.7±3.8 kg/m2. The mean serum uric acid level was 7.2±1.2 mg/dL, with the range of 5.1–10.8 mg/dL. There was a statistically significant correlation between serum uric level and nPNA (p < 0.05). The serum uric acid level was also positively correlated with blood urea nitrogen level (p < 0.01) and serum phosphorus level (p < 0.05). Our results suggest that serum uric acid level is associated with nutritional status, and might be a possible marker for protein nutrition in maintenance hemodialysis patients.