title: Uric acid best predicts metabolically unhealthy obesity with increased cardiovascular risk in youth and adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The obesity prevalence is growing worldwide and largely responsible for cardiovascular disease, the most common cause of death in the western world. The rationale of this study was to distinguish metabolically healthy from unhealthy overweight/obese young and adult patients as compared to healthy normal weight age matched controls by an extensive anthropometric, laboratory, and sonographic vascular assessment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hundred fifty five young [8 to < 18 years, 299 overweight/obese(ow/ob), 56 normal weight (nw)] and 354 adult [>18-60 years, 175 (ow/ob), 179 nw)] participants of the STYJOBS/EDECTA (STYrian Juvenile Obesity Study/Early DEteCTion of Atherosclerosis) cohort were analyzed. STYJOBS/EDECTA (NCT00482924) is a crossectional study to investigate metabolic/cardiovascular risk profiles in normal and ow/ob people free of disease except metabolic syndrome (MetS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  From 299 young ow/ob subjects (8-< 18 years), 108 (36%), and from 175 adult ow/ob subjects (>18-60 years), 79 (45%) had positive criteria for MetS. In both age groups, prevalence of MetS was greater among males. Overweight/obese subjects were divided into "healthy" (no MetS criterion except anthropometry fulfilled) and "unhealthy" (MetS positive). Although percentage body fat did not differ between "healthy" and "unhealthy" ow/ob, nuchal and visceral fat were significantly greater in the "unhealthy" group which had also significantly higher values of carotid intima media thickness (IMT). With MetS as the dependent variable, two logistic regressions including juveniles <18 years or adults >18 years were performed. The potential predictor variables selected with the exception of age and gender by t test comparisons included IMT, ultrasensitive c-reactive protein (US-CRP), IL-6, malondialdehyde (MDA), oxidized LDL, leptin, adiponectin, uric acid (UA), aldosterone, cortisol, transaminases, fibrinogen. In both groups, uric acid and in adults only, leptin and adiponectin, turned out as the best predictor.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum levels of UA are a significant predictor of unhealthy obesity in juveniles and adults.
authors: Clinical Institute of Medical and Chemical Laboratory Diagnostics, Medical University of Graz, Austria. harald.mangge@klinikum-graz.at
authors: Harald
authors: H
authors: Mangge
authors: Sieglinde
authors: S
authors: Zelzer
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Puerstner
authors: Wolfgang J
authors: WJ
authors: Schnedl
authors: Gloria
authors: G
authors: Reeves
authors: Teodor T
authors: TT
authors: Postolache
authors: Daniel
authors: D
authors: Weghuber
mesh_terms: D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood*; D050154:Adiposity; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000097:blood*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D052242:Adiponectin; D020738:Leptin; D014527:Uric Acid