Abstract
This study aimed to determine the association between serum uric acid (UA) levels and new-onset hypertension (HTN) in newly enrolled students (aged 18 to 20 years) at a university in Gifu, Japan. We analyzed data collected over a 12-year period from April 2010 to March 2022. From this dataset, we selected individuals who were normotensive at admission and underwent a follow-up examination four years later, at the time of their progression to a master’s course (n = 2859). Among these participants, 75 (2.6%) developed HTN by the second visit. Their serum UA levels (mg/dL) were significantly higher compared to those who remained HTN-free, both at baseline (6.02 ± 1.06 vs. 5.42 ± 1.17) and at the second visit (6.10 ± 1.20 vs 5.46 ± 1.22). Logistic regression analysis revealed that the odds of developing HTN were higher when considering the mean UA level across both visits (odds ratio: 1.63 per 1 mg/dL increase) compared to either the first or second visit alone. Further analysis of the relationship between elevated mean UA levels (above the cutoff value of 5.7 mg/dL) and the risk of new-onset HTN demonstrated a significant odds ratio of 3.39, which remained significant after adjusting for body mass index and sex. In summary, elevated UA levels are an independent risk factor for future HTN in young adults.
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All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this article. Further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding authors.
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Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to the staff members involved in the study and the students at Gifu University who participated in the study. We would also like to thank Editage (www.editage.jp) for English language editing.
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Conceptualization: Hiroyuki Terawaki, Ryuichi Yoshimura, Mayumi Yamamoto. Formal analysis: Hiroyuki Terawaki. Investigation: Hiroyuki Terawaki. Methodology: Hiroyuki Terawaki, Ryuichi Yoshimura. Project administration: Hiroyuki Terawaki, Mayumi Yamamoto. Software: Hiroyuki Terawaki. Supervision: Takafumi Ito, Mayumi Yamamoto. Validation and visualization: Hiroyuki Terawaki. Writing – original draft and final modification: Hiroyuki Terawaki. Writing – review & editing: Ryuichi Yoshimura, Hitomi Ueda, Satoko Tajirika, Minako Kawamoto, Ryo Horita, Taku Fukao, Yasuko Ito, Takafumi Ito, Mayumi Yamamoto.
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Terawaki, H., Yoshimura, R., Ueda, H. et al. Elevated uric acid levels as a risk factor for new-onset hypertension in newly enrolled Japanese university students (JSH46-0100). Hypertens Res 48, 780–785 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41440-024-01941-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41440-024-01941-y
