Correlation between serum uric acid and body fat distribution in patients with MAFLD

BACKGROUND: Metabolic dysfunction associated with fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is often correlated with obesity and hyperuricemia. The present study aimed to determine the association between serum uric acid (SUA) and central fat distribution in patients with MAFLD. METHODS: A total of 485 patients were classified into the following groups: (1) controls without MAFLD and hyperuricemia (HUA), (2) MAFLD with normal SUA, and (3) MAFLD with HUA. DUALSCAN HDS-2000 was used to measure visceral fat (VAT) and subcutaneous fat (SAT). Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) was used to measure body fat distribution. RESULTS: MAFLD patients with HUA had remarkably higher BMI, fasting insulin, OGIRT AUC, ALT, AST, TG, VAT, SAT, Adipo-IR, trunk fat mass, android fat, and total body fat than MAFLD patients with normal SUA (all p < 0.05). The increase in VAT, SAT, CAP, Adipo-IR, upper limbs fat mass, trunk fat mass, and android fat, as well as the percentage of MAFLD, were significantly correlated with the increase in SUA. The percentage of MAFLD patients with HUA increased significantly with increasing VAT or SAT, as determined by the Cochran–Armitage trend test (all p < 0.05). Furthermore, VAT (OR = 1.01 CI: 1.00, 1.03; p < 0.05) and adipo-IR (OR = 1.09 CI: 1.00, 1.19; p < 0.05) were associated with circling SUA in MAFLD after adjusting for sex, age, TG, TC, HOMA-IR, and BMI. CONCLUSION: Abdominal fat promotes the co-existence of HUA and MAFLD, while weight loss, especially, decreasing VAT, is of great importance to decrease SUA levels and manage MAFLD.