Association between serum uric acid and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in Korean adults.
BACKGROUND
Increased uric acid is associated with the metabolic syndrome, conditions linked to oxidative stress and insulin resistance. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is now considered a hepatic manifestation of insulin resistance. However, little has been written regarding the association between uric acid and NAFLD.


METHODS
We examined the association between uric acid and the presence of NAFLD in 3768 Koreans (2133 men, 1635 women; aged 20-75 years) in a health examination program. Uric acid quartiles were categorized separately as follows: Q1: <or=291.5, Q2: 291.6-333.1, Q3: 333.2-380.7, and Q4: >or=380.8 micromol/L for men; Q1: <or=202.2, Q2: 202.3-232.0, Q3: 231.1-267.7, and Q4: >or=267.8 micromol/L for women. Hepatic steatosis was diagnosed based on abdominal ultrasonographic findings by hyperechogenicity of liver tissue, difference of echogenicity between the liver and diaphragm, and visibility of vascular structures. The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for NAFLD were calculated across each quartile of serum uric acid.


RESULTS
The prevalence of NAFLD was 25.8% (32.2% in men and 17.4% in women). After adjustment for age, body mass index (BMI), smoking, regular exercise, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), triglycerides, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the ORs (95% CIs) for NAFLD according to each quartile of uric acid were 1.00, 1.55 (1.13-2.14), 1.77 (1.30-2.41), and 2.01 (1.45-2.78) for men and 1.00, 0.69 (0.40-1.20), 1.12 (0.67-1.88), and 1.94 (1.21-3.13) for women.


CONCLUSIONS
Serum uric acid is independently associated with the presence of NAFLD, and uric acid may be a useful additional measure in assessing the risk of NAFLD in the clinical setting.
Lee
Yong-Jae
YJ
Department of Family Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Lee
Hye-Ree
HR
Lee
Jung-Hyun
JH
Shin
Youn-Ho
YH
Shim
Jae-Yong
JY
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002947:Cities; D015444:Exercise; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000097:blood*; D055815:Young Adult
D001786:Blood Glucose; D008055:Lipids; D014527:Uric Acid