Uric Acid, Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Chronic Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction

What is it about?

Oxidative stress and inflammation are major players in the progression of chronic heart failure. Higher serum uric acid levels are associated with the severity of chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. Our findings suggest significant correlations between serum uric acid and markers of oxidative stress and systemic inflammation in patients with chronic heart failure which are related to the extent of left ventricular systolic dysfunction.

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Why is it important?

Therefore, hyperuricemia is a marker of increased xanthine-oxidase activity in chronic heart failure patients with normal renal function and is linked with systemic inflammatory response. We have taken these conclusions one step further and also studied the potential benefits of xanthine-oxidase inhibition by allopurinol on top of optimal medical treatment for chronic heart failure (Iliesiu AM, Farmacia 2015). Treatment with high doses of allopurinol had heterogeneous effects on cardiac biomarkers. Since the therapeutic benefits were associated with a significant drop in serum uric acid, it may be a useful marker of the efficiency of allopurinol treatment.