Hyperuricemia and non-dipping blood pressure

Abstract

Oreste Marrone,1 Maria Rosaria Bonsignore1,21National Research Council, Institute of Biomedicine and Molecular Immunology, Palermo, Italy; 2Biomedical Department of Internal and Specialistic Medicine, University of Palermo, Palermo, ItalyThe strong association between the metabolic derangements that characterize the metabolic syndrome with arterial hypertension is very well-known, as it is the common finding of hyperuricemia in the patients with the metabolic syndrome. Besides, hyperuricemia has been found to be associated with cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic diseases; including not only gout but also type 2 diabetes mellitus, although its role as a risk factor is still debated.1 We were not aware of previous studies describing an association between uric acid levels and the non-dipping 24-hour blood pressure (BP) pattern, and for that reason we were intrigued by Tutal et al’s article, regarding hypertensive patients with the metabolic syndrome.2 The authors explain some possible causes that could determine an increase in uric acid in the metabolic syndrome, and describe some pathogenetic mechanisms of systemic hypertension in their patients. We would like to point out one more possible mechanism that could link hyperuricemia to non-dipping BP.View original paper by Tutal et al