OBJECTIVES: Among relatively healthy Filipinos undergoing executive check-ups (periodic health examinations), the study aims 1.) To determine the correlation of hypertension and serum uric acid, 2.) To determine the association between serum uric acid and age, sex, obesity or relative weight, cigarette smoking, alcohol intake, diabetes mellitus, anti-hypertensive drug intake, cholesterol, and serum triglyceride, and 3.) To determine prevalence of hyperuricemia.

METHODS: Retrospective chart review of 2188 adult Filipinos undergoing executive medical check-ups in 6 major hospitals Results: Hyperuricemia was present in 37.9 percent (adjusted prevalence, 95 percentCI 36.0-39.9) (n=845). The mean uric acid was 0.38 mmol/L (95 percent CI 0.37-0.39). It was significantly associated with hypertension at adjusted Odds Ratio 1.27 (95 percent CI 1.05-1.53, p=0.013). The risk factors for hyperuricemia were age, male, weight, smoking, alcohol intake, hypertension, normoglycemia, triglycerides, and cholesterol. After adjustment in a step-wise logistic regression, the independent predictors identified were hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, age, males and non-diabetics.

CONCLUSIONS: Hypertension was significantly associated with hyperuricemia among adult Filipinos undergoing periodic health check-ups. The major predictors of elevated serum uric acid were hypertension, male sex, hypercholesterolemia, age and absence of diabetes mellitus. The prevalence of hyperuricemia at 37.9 percent was much higher compared to a previous local study (21 percent) and prevalence studies from other countries (8.4-27.6 percent).