Uric Acid: An Overlooked, Inexpensive Biomarker of Metabolic Syndrome (P10-068-19)

Abstract

Objectives: Elevated serum uric acid (HUA) levels have been shown to have a positive correlation with metabolic syndrome (MetS) risk factors. In countries where rates of MetS continue to increase, such as Mexico, it is important to identify reliable and inexpensive markers that will aid in predicting the development of MetS. Our aim was to evaluate the association between serum uric acid (UA) and MetS risk factors in young Mexican adults. Risk factors include glucose (GLU), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), waist circumference (WC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and body mass index (BMI). Methods: Mexican college applicants involved in the Universities of San Luis Potosí and Illinois: Multidisciplinary Investigation on Obesity, Genetics and Socio-environment (UP AMIGOS) cohort (ages 18-25, n = 747, 56% female) underwent a health screening following an overnight fast. Fasting blood samples, anthropometric measurements, and blood pressure were collected. According to the literature, HUA levels are defined as ≥7 and ≥6 mg/dL for males and females, respectively. T-tests were conducted to compare mean differences of MetS risk components between individuals with and without HUA levels. Analyses were conducted separately by sex. Results: The mean ± SD of UA was 5.73 ± 1.32 mg/dL and 4.39 ± 1.19 mg/dL for males and females, respectively. Males and females with HUA had significantly higher TG, and WC, and lower HDL (all P < 0.001). HUA was positively correlated with WC (R2 = 0.331, SBP (R2 = 0.151), DBP (R2 = 0.176), GLU (R2 = 0.863), TG (R2 = 0.424) and BMI (R2 = 0.363). In contrast, HDL was negatively correlated with HUA (R2 =-0.277), as hypothesized. All Pearson correlations were adjusted for age and sex and statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Serum UA has a strong correlation with MetS risk factors in young Mexican adults. Routine monitoring of serum UA could be utilized as an inexpensive early predictor of MetS, which would allow for early interventions to aid in preventing cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.