Evaluation of Serum High-Sensitivity C-reactive Protein and Uric Acid and their Correlation in Hypertensive Patients in Southern Part of Nigeria.

Abstract

Summary:

Inflammation has been shown to contribute to the pathogenesis of hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Consequently, markers of low-grade inflammation such as high-sensitivity C– reactive protein (HSCRP) have been reported to be elevated in hypertension. Also, serum uric acid (SUA) concentrations have been linked with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. This study was aimed at evaluating the serum levels of HSCRP and uric acid and their correlation in hypertensive patients. This was a cross-sectional study done in the hospital between October 2022 and January 2024 involving three hundred participants, composed of two hundred hypertensive and one hundred normotensive individuals. The mean HSCRP were 4.23 ± 3.31 vs. 1.50 ± 1.49 mg/L in the hypertensive and control groups respectively. The difference in the two groups was statistically significant (<0.001). The mean SUA were 0.26 ± 0.18 vs. 0.14 ± 0.03 mmol/l in the hypertensive and control groups respectively. The differences in the two groups were statistically significant (<0.001). There was a significant weak positive correlation between HSCRP with SUA in the hypertensive group (Pearson's Correlation = 0.222, P-value = 0.012). Serum levels of HSCRP and uric acid were significantly higher in the hypertensive patients than in normotensive controls. Also, there was a significant weak positive correlation between HSCRP and serum uric acid in the hypertensive group.