Hyperuricemia: An Intriguing Connection to Metabolic Syndrome, Diabetes, Kidney Disease, and Hypertension.

Purpose Of The Review: Our review explores the epidemiology, physiology, and clinical data surrounding the connection between hyperuricemia and metabolic syndrome, chronic kidney disease, and hypertension.

Recent Findings: Compelling physiologic mechanisms have been proposed to explain a causal relationship between hyperuricemia and metabolic syndrome, chronic kidney disease, and hypertension but clinical studies have given mixed results in terms of whether intervening with hyperuricemia using urate-lowering therapy has any beneficial effects for patients with these conditions. Despite the large amount of research already put into this topic, more randomized placebo-controlled trials are needed to more firmly establish whether a cause-effect relationship exists and whether lowering uric acid levels in patients with these conditions is beneficial.

Polypharmacy in chronic kidney disease: Health outcomes & pharmacy-based strategies to mitigate inappropriate polypharmacy.

The rising prevalence of comorbidities in an increasingly aging population has sparked a reciprocal rise in polypharmacy. Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have a greater burden of polypharmacy due to the comorbidities and complications associated with their disease. Polypharmacy in CKD patients has been linked to myriad direct and indirect costs for patients and the society at large.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Hypertension: Updates to a Critical Relationship.

Purpose Of Review: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is an underdiagnosed illness linked to essential hypertension (HTN), resistant hypertension (r-HTN), and cardiovascular disease (CVD). This review provides updates on the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and treatments of OSA-associated HTN.

Recent Findings: Mild sleep apnea increases the risk for HTN.

Hypertension, Obesity, and COVID-19: a Collision of Pandemics.

To highlight the epidemiology and pathophysiology of hypertension and obesity in COVID-19 infection RECENT FINDINGS: Hypertension and obesity have emerged as significant risk factors for contracting the COVID-19 virus and the subsequent severity of illness. ACE2 receptor expression and dysregulation of the RAAS pathway play important roles in the pathophysiology of these associations, as do the pro-inflammatory state and cytokine dysregulation seen in obesity. Some of these patterns have also been seen historically in other viral illnesses.