KARACHI: Eminent Irish kidney specialist Professor Austin G Stack on Monday said that high levels of uric acid or hyperuricemia did not only triple the risks of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) but also increased the chances of cardiovascular disease and stroke in the people having metabolic syndrome. “Various latest researches have indicated that high levels of uric acid are also an indicator of metabolic syndrome, which causes cardiovascular disease and stroke. There is now an indirect but proven link between hyperuricemia and cardiovascular disease as well as stroke,”Prof. Austin G Stack said while speaking at 3rd International Hyperuricemia Summit at a local hotel in Karachi. The summit was organised by Hyperuricemia Advisory Council (HAC). HAC is an advisory body comprising of leading urologists, diabetologists, professors of medicines and endocrinology who are striving for the awareness about hyperuricemia or dangers of elevated levels of uric acid in the general public. Austin G Stack said that it was an old misconception that high levels of uric acid only caused gout. He added that physicians treating people with gout should also look for kidney disease and hypertension in such patients as hypercemia had emerged as a major factor behind causing Chronic Kidney Disease, which often led to renal failure. “CKD patients need to undergo dialysis and even kidney transplants,” he said. “Hyperuricemia is on a rise globally, even in Pakistan, but unfortunately it is the most under-estimated risk factor for hypertension, Chronic Kidney Disease, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and stroke”, he said. Stack urged physicians to monitor the levels of uric acid in patients with kidney disease, hypertension, diabetes and even cardiovascular disease. To a query, he said there was only 40 percent role of lifestyle modification in controlling hyperuricemia while in remaining 60 percent patients, it could only be controlled with the administration of uric acid lowering drugs. “Majority of patients with elevated levels of uric acid do not adopt a healthy lifestyle and do not refrain from things that increase uric acid in their bodies,” regretted Stack. “Excessive intake of meat, especially beef, shellfish and certain leguminous food in addition to consumption of alcohol increases the uric acid levels in the body. Balanced diet can definitely lower the uric acid levels”, he explained and added that awareness regarding hyperuricemia should be increased in the general public so that people could take preventive measures against it. Renowned diabetologist Professor Zaman Shaikh said that uric acid had proved to be one of the components of metabolic syndrome that caused cardiovascular disease. He added that it was now linked to heart attacks and stroke especially in people who had diabetes and hypertension. “Earlier it was thought that high levels of uric acid cause only gout but it has now been proven that it is also linked to many other diseases including cardiovascular diseases and stroke”, he said. He added that sedentary lifestyle and excessive intake of junk food and red meat was causing hyperuricemia among common people. Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center (JPMC) Urologist Professor Muhammad Mansoor said that high levels of uric acids in the body were major causes of stone formation in the kidneys which often led to Chronic Kidney Disease and renal failure. “People should monitor their uric acid levels if they have any kidney problems because elevated uric acid levels are not good for kidneys”, he warned. Other experts including Prof.MashhoorAlam Shah, Prof.Tasaduq, Prof. Karim Qamaruddin and others also spoke and answered the questions raised by medical students, physicians and common people. Professor MashhoorAlam Shah, Prof. Karim Qamaruddin, Prof. Muhammad Tasaduqand others also spoke on the occasion and answered questions raised by doctors and common people regarding hyperuricemia. Published in Daily Times, October 16th 2018.