Serum Uric Acid as a prognostic biomarker & its correlation with Killip Class in Acute Myocardial Infarction

Introduction: Uric acid has been proven to be a negative prognostic indicator in patients with acute myocardial infarction and heart failure. There is a need to find a simple, less expensive but accurate marker that could be use in rural areas where fibrinolytic treatment is the first choice of acute reperfusion therapy. Materials and Methods: 80 patients presenting with acute myocardial infarction were included in the study and serum uric acid levels and Killip Class was assessed on Day 0,3 and 7. Results: Serum uric acid levels were raised in patients who presented with higher Killip Class on admission and all the 6 patients who succumbed belonged to either Killip Class 3 or 4 at presentation with a serum uric acid level of more than or equal to 7mg/dL. Conclusion: Serum uric levels are raised during an episode of myocardial infarction and more so when the patient is in heart failure. There is a positive correlation between rising serum uric acid levels with higher Killip Class at the time of admission. Thus uric acid can be used as a prognostic indicator in patients presenting with myocardial infarction more so if they are in heart failure.