서병성

성균관대학교 의과대학 강북삼성병원 산업의학과


Background: Serum uric acid has been suggested as a predictor for development of the metabolic syndrome, but retrospective cohort studies in Korean population is scarce. Therefore, we investigated the association between serum uric acid levels and the incidence of the metabolic syndrome in Korean people.
Methods: The study population consisted of 9,746 Korean male employees, 30 to 59 years of age, without cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome, who underwent health checkups from 2002 to 2006. We analyzed incidence of metabolic syndrome according to serum uric acid levels and odds ratio of metabolic syndrome using logistic regression.
Results: As a quartile of serum uric acid increased, 4 year follow-up incidence of the metabolic syndrome increased. After adjustment sex, age, alcohol drinking status, and smoking status, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance and high sensitive C-reactive protein, odds ratios (95% confidence interval) for incidence of metabolic syndrome comparing the lowest uric acid quartile to the upper quartiles were 1.0 (reference), 1.15 (0.96-1.39), 1.52 (1.29-1.80), 2.00 (1.68-2.37), respectively. After futher adjustment of metabolic components, this association remained significant.
Conclusions: These results showed that increasing levels of serum uric acid predicted an increased incidence of metabolic syndrome. Physicians should be observant regarding future development of metabolic syndrome among patients with increasing concentration of serum uric acid.

Keywords: Serum uric acid, Metabolic syndrome, Incidence