Influence of Obesity on Urinary pH With Respect to Sex in Healthy Koreans

Abstract

To evaluate the association between urinary pH and metabolic risk factors, including obesity according to sex in a Korean population recruited through the health promotion center. From 2008 to 2010, a total of 22 297 ostensibly healthy adult Koreans who visited our health promotion center were enrolled in the present study. The relationship between urinary pH and various metabolic risk factors, including obesity, were evaluated. The mean age ± SD of the study population was 45.0 ± 9.1 years. The men had a significantly greater body mass index and lower urinary pH than the women. Using multivariate logistic regression analysis, obesity significantly correlated with a lower urinary pH (≤5.5) only in men (odds ratio [OR] 1.095, P = .015) and not in women (OR 1.004, P = 0.945). Among the various factors examined, older age (>45 years), greater fasting blood glucose, and hyperuricemia were factors significantly associated with a lower urinary pH in both groups. Hypertriglyceridemia was a significant factor associated with lower urinary pH only in men, and a lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was the significant factor for a lower urinary pH in women. The results of the present study revealed that obesity is significantly correlated with lower urinary pH (≤5.5) only in men.