Uric Acid and Its Correlation with Various Metabolic Parameters: A Population-Based Study

INTRODUCTION: Uric acid, apparently an inert waste product, was found to have association with various metabolic disorders. The data regarding prevalence of serum uric acid (SUA) abnormalities and its correlation with other anthropo-metabolic parameters, however, are scanty. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In all, 405 participants from a rural area were investigated for various metabolic parameters including uric acid. SUA level was evaluated for having any correlation with other anthropometric and metabolic disorders like obesity, dyslipidemia, metabolic syndrome (MetS), hypertension, calcium and vitamin D abnormalities, liver function, and glycemic alterations. Lean MetS is defined as those having waist criteria below the region specific waist criteria and even then satisfying the definition of MetS as per the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) ATP-III (Adult Treatment Panel) criteria. RESULTS: The mean uric acid was 4.2 mg/dL (±1.35), with 4.9 mg/dL (±1.28) for males and 3.7 mg/dL (±1.14) for females. Thirteen of 405 people (3.2%) found to have uric acid level of more than 7.0 mg/dL, and eight people out of 405 (2.0%) had hypouricemia. SUA showed correlation with age, blood pressure, and the anthropometric parameters for obesity, for example, weight, body mass index, waist circumference, waist hip ratio, waist height ratio, fasting insulin, Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, and triglycerides. However, fasting glucose, calcium, phosphate, 25-hydroxy vitamin D3, and iPTH did not show any correlation with the SUA level. Compared to the healthy population, SUA level was elevated in MetS as defined by International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria. However, the SUA in healthy population was not significantly different from the Lean MetS, and SUA of Lean MetS was not significantly different from Obese MetS. CONCLUSION: SUA is elevated in MetS compared to the normal population. However, SUA in Lean MetS is not different from Obese MetS.