Association of Serum Uric Acid Levels in Hospitalized Patients with Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Abstract

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a prevalent able and progressive illness. Uric acid counteracts the effects of oxidants. It is important to assess the influence of serum uric acid levels on the clinical outcomes of hospitalized patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Objective: To determine the association of serum uric acid levels with acute exacerbation of COPD in hospitalized patients at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi.

Methods: This observational study was carried out in the Chest Medicine Department of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center (JPMC), Karachi, Pakistan, from January to June 2023. It included patients presenting with acute exacerbation, diagnosed per Anthonisen's criteria. Serum uric acid levels were measured from venous blood samples at admission, and hyperuricemia was defined as a level >7 mg/dL. Data on quantitative variables (age, pack-years of smoking, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and COPD duration, as well as qualitative variables such as gender, residence status, hyperuricemia, and in-hospital mortality, were recorded.

Results: A total of 150 patients were examined during the study, with a mean age of 65.37±11.55 years. There were 107 (71.3%) males and 43 (28.7%) females. The mean duration of COPD was 14.33±14.65 years. The mean hyperuricemia of the patients was 7.89±2.72 mg/dl. The mean serum albumin of the patients was 3.48±0.97 g/dl. In this study, 66 (44.0%) patients were expired. It was seen that 54 (81.8%) expired patients had high uric acid versus 39 (41.9%) patients (p <0.001).

Conclusion: Hyperuricemia emerges as a promising biomarker ..............