LAUSR

Objectives: To examine hypo-uricemic efficacy of losartan and its combination with hydrochlorothiazide (HTZ) in hypertensive patients depending on a gender. Methods: The study included 505 patients: 165 men (32%) and 340 women (57%) 60.9 ± 5.0 years old. Losartan was assigned for 55 men and for 110 women, losartan with hydrochlorothiazide (HTZ): for 110 men and for 230 women accordingly. Uric acid blood levels were determined before treatment and after one and three months of treatment. The effectiveness of therapy was evaluated by monitoring of the office and home blood pressure during the study. Results: A significantly more pronounced decrease uric acid in women compared with that in males after one month of observation was stated: from 439 ± 10 &mgr;mol/l to 361 ± 9 &mgr;mol / l (P < 0.001). The combination of losartan with HTZ also significantly decreased uric acid from 427 ± 11 &mgr;mol / l to 369 ± 12 &mgr;mol / l (P < 0.05) in a month of therapy. In women a similar decrease in uric acid in blood plasma was retained after 3 months of treatment with losartan mono- and combination therapy. In males, a significant hypo-uricemic effect was manifested only after 3 months of monotherapy with losartan: uric acid decreased from 526 ± 14 &mgr;mol / l to 478 ± 18 &mgr;mol / l (P < 0.05). In men a combination of losartan with a diuretic did not significantly (p > 0.05) affect the uric acid blood level. Multivariate regression analysis indicates that decrease blood level of uric acid under losartan therapy is not affected by its antihypertensive effect. Conclusion: At the initial stages of treatment losartan decrease uric acid more pronounced in women than in men, and after 3 months of therapy it does not depend on gender.