Serum Uric Acid Levels and Insulin Resistance Syndrome in the People Living at Kijang County of Busan City

Yoon, Bo Young; Chai, Doo Geun; Kim, Sung Mok; Cho, Moon Suk; Kim, Dong Joon; Park, Jeong Hyun; Rhee, Byung Doo; Lim, Kyung Ho; Kang, Chang Il

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Insulin resistance syndrome is defined as the constellation of central obesity, hypertension, glucose abnormality and dyslipidemia. Other constituents of insulin resistance syndrome have recently been reported including serum uric acid. Causative correlation between serum uric acid and insulin resistance syndrome is still not clear. We performed epidemiologic study to clarify its correlation with insulin resistance syndrome in the people living at Kijang district of Busan City.
METHODS
We performed volunteer study of the people living at Kijang district of Busan City from 16th to 19th day of November in 1998 (n=232). Height, body weight, abdominal and hip circumference, and blood pressure were measured. We also measured fasting blood glucose, fasting serum insulin (Linco RIA), HDL-cholesterol, triglyceride, total cholesterol and serum uric acid. Insulin resistance was calculated by HOMA (homeostasis model assessment) method.
RESULTS
Total number of subjects were 232 (male 61, female 171), and their mean age was 5.1+/-13.4 (years), BMI (body mass index) 23.4+/-3.2 kg/m2, and WHR (waist to hip ratio) 0.82+/-0.07. Mean HOMA-IR value derived from fasting blood glucose and insulin was 2.5+/-2.4, mean serum uric acid was 270+/-72 mol/L. The serum uric acid level showed positive correlation with BMI (r=.324), WHR (r=.403), log transformed triglyceride value (r=.135), systolic blood pressure (r=.181), diastolic blood pressure (r=.185) and negative correlation with HDL-cholesterol (r=-.185,p<0.01). Stepwise linear regression revealed that only serum creatinine, WHR and natural logarithmic value of triglyceride showed statistically independent correlation with serum uric acid level.
CONCLUSION
Serum uric acid level in the people living at Kijang district of Busan City showed statistically significant correlation with other well-known constituents of insulin resistance syndrome. Thus, we may conclude that the level of serum uric acid can be regarded as the component of insulin resistance syndrome in the people living at Kijang district. However, its relationship with insulin resistance syndrome may be indirect.