Positive association of serum uric acid with new-onset diabetes in Chinese women with hypertension in a retrospective analysis of the China Stroke Primary Prevention Trial

Aims: To investigate the association of baseline serum uric acid (UA) with new-onset diabetes, and to explore the possible effect modifiers in Chinese adults with hypertension.

Materials and methods: A total of 14 943 hypertensive patients with available UA measurements and without diabetes at baseline were included from the China Stroke Primary Prevention Trial (CSPPT). Participants were randomly assigned to a double-blind daily treatment with 10 mg enalapril and 0.8 mg folic acid or 10 mg enalapril alone. The primary outcome was new-onset diabetes, defined as physician-diagnosed diabetes or use of glucose-lowering drugs during follow-up, or fasting glucose ≥7.0 mmol/L at the exit visit.

Results: Over a median follow-up of 4.5 years, 1623 participants (10.9%) developed diabetes. Overall, there was a positive association between baseline UA and new-onset diabetes in women (per SD increment; adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.14, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.07, 1.23), but not in men (adjusted OR 1.01, 95% CI 0.92, 1.10). Moreover, a stronger positive association between baseline UA and new-onset diabetes was found among women with lower time-averaged on-treatment systolic blood pressure during the treatment period (<140 vs. ≥140 mmHg; P-interaction = 0.024), higher baseline body mass index (<24 vs. ≥24 kg/m² ; P-interaction = 0.012), or higher baseline waist circumference (<80 vs. ≥80 cm; P-interaction = 0.032).

Conclusions: Our study suggested that higher baseline UA was significantly associated with increased risk of new-onset diabetes in hypertensive Chinese women, but not in men. Further prospective studies are required to validate the differential association by sex.