To Study the Association of Serum Uric Acid Levels with Severity of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic inflammatory lung disease that causes airflow obstruction which leads to hypoxia.Serum uric acid is increased in hypoxic states as well as in systemic inflammatory conditions.The purpose of the present study was to assess whether the higher value of serum uric acid corresponds with the severity of COPD as per spirometric classification of COPD.Material and methods: This cross-sectional study included 294 spirometry-diagnosed patients of COPD as per Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease criteria.Serum uric acid levels were tested on all the patients.The patients with raised serum uric acid levels were further categorized according to severity COPD grade.Reference of normal serum uric acid levels among males was taken as 3.5-8.5 mg/dL and among females as 2.5-6.2mg/dL.Results: In the present study of 294 patients, maximum patients, i.e., 59.5%, were in moderate COPD grade.The mean serum uric acid value in male subjects was 5.9 2.066 mg/dL, while in female subjects the mean serum uric acid value was 6.31 1.93 mg/dL.About 85 (22 males and 63 females) had serum uric acid values out of the normal range.In males, maximum (41.6%) were in severe COPD grade, whereas in females maximum (80.8%) were in moderate COPD grade.Severe COPD grade showed statistically significant (p = 0.037) association with raised serum uric acid levels in both male and female subjects. Conclusion:The study concludes that mean uric acid levels progressively increased as the COPD grade increased from I to IV.Since serum uric acid levels were raised in COPD patients mainly in the severe COPD grade, it serves as a useful parameter for assessing disease severity and hypoxemia in known COPD patients.