Relationship between serum uric acid levels and metabolic syndrome in Chinese premenopausal women, postmenopausal women, and men

Abstract

Objective The study was conducted to investigate the incidence of metabolic syndrome (MS) and hyperuricemia in Chinese community residents, and to assess differences of menopausal status and genders in the relationship between MS and serum uric acid (SUA) levels. Methods A total of 10 191 subjects (5 838 postmenopausal women, 726 premenopausal women, and 3 627 men) were recruited in this cross-sectional study. All participants received standard questionnaire survey, physical examination, oral glucose tolerance test, and laboratory examination (serum uric acid, serum lipid, liver and kidney functions). MS was diagnosed according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria. Hyperuricemia was defined as SUA>420 μmol/L for men and>360 μmol/L for women. Results The prevalence of hyperuricemia was 14.4% in men, 11.8% in postmenopausal women, and 6.2% in premenopausal women. The prevalence of MS was 35.2% in men, 46.2% in postmenopausal women, and 28.9% in premenopausal women. The body mass index, waist circumference, and triglycerides levels were most strongly associated with SUA levels in all groups, while the correlation coefficients of these factors were higher in females than those in males. Individuals in the highest SUA quartile had 3.538-fold, 2.088-fold, and 1.404-fold increased risk of MS as compared with those in the lowest quartile in premenopausal women, postmenopausal women, and men, respectively. The risks of developing each components of MS in females were higher than those in males. Conclusions There is an association between SUA level and MS, and the relationships between SUA levels and MS were much closer in females than those in males. Individuals with higher SUA levels were more likely to develop MS and its components than those with lower SUA levels. Premenopausal women with high level of SUA may have the highest risk of developing MS in Chinses community residents. (Chin J Endocrinol Metab, 2017, 33: 1031-1037) Key words: Metabolic syndrome; Serum uric acid; Hyperuricemia; Gender; Menopausal status