PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Marcelo Heinig
AU  - Richard J. Johnson
TI  - Role of uric acid in hypertension, renal disease, and metabolic syndrome
DP  - 2006 Dec 01
TA  - Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine
PG  - 1059--1064
VI  - 73
IP  - 12
4099  - http://www.ccjm.org/content/73/12/1059.short
4100  - http://www.ccjm.org/content/73/12/1059.full
SO  - Cleve Clin J Med2006 Dec 01; 73
AB  - Hyperuricemia has long been known to be associated with cardiovascular disease, and it is particularly common in people with hypertension, metabolic syndrome, or kidney disease. Most authorities have viewed elevated uric acid as a secondary phenomenon that is either innocuous or perhaps even beneficial, since uric acid can be an antioxidant. However, recent experiments have challenged this viewpoint. In this paper we argue that uric acid is a true risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, we suggest that the recent increased intake in the American diet of fructose, which is a known cause of hyperuricemia, may be contributing to the current epidemic of obesity and diabetes.