Abstract
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of increased serum uric acid (UA) levels and their therapeutic reduction with allopurinol on endothelium-dependent dilation in subjects with a high cardiovascular (CV) risk but who were free from clinical CV disease. Patients with hyperuricemia had impaired flow-mediated dilation (FMD) compared with matched controls with normal UA levels and elevated CV risk. Three-month therapy with allopurinol improved FMD in hyperuricemic subjects, showing an intrinsic negative effect of elevated UA levels on the arterial wall; conversely, FMD remained unchanged in controls, thus suggesting that the reduction of UA to less than a certain value does not affect endothelial function.
Publication types
-
Comparative Study
-
Evaluation Study
-
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
-
Aged
-
Allopurinol / antagonists & inhibitors
-
Allopurinol / therapeutic use
-
Biomarkers / analysis
-
Brachial Artery / drug effects
-
Brachial Artery / metabolism
-
Brachial Artery / physiopathology
-
Cardiovascular Diseases / drug therapy
-
Cardiovascular Diseases / epidemiology*
-
Cardiovascular Diseases / physiopathology*
-
Endothelium, Vascular / drug effects
-
Endothelium, Vascular / metabolism
-
Endothelium, Vascular / physiopathology*
-
Enzyme Inhibitors / therapeutic use
-
Female
-
Humans
-
Hyperuricemia / drug therapy
-
Hyperuricemia / epidemiology*
-
Hyperuricemia / physiopathology*
-
Male
-
Middle Aged
-
Observer Variation
-
Risk Factors
-
Statistics as Topic
-
Uric Acid / metabolism
-
Vasodilation / drug effects
-
Vasodilation / physiology
-
Xanthine Oxidase / drug effects
-
Xanthine Oxidase / metabolism
Substances
-
Biomarkers
-
Enzyme Inhibitors
-
Uric Acid
-
Allopurinol
-
Xanthine Oxidase