title: The association between a low urine pH and the components of metabolic syndrome in the Korean population: Findings based on the 2010 Korea National health and nutrition examination survey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Low urine pH is related to obesity and insulin resistance, which are components of metabolic syndrome (MS). The aim of this study was to identify the relation between a low urine pH and MS after controlled for other covariates including demographic and lifestyle factors in adult Korean population.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed data from the 2010 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a cross-sectional and nationally representative survey and 1960 men and 2702 women were included in this study. Study subjects were divided into the group with urine pH <5.5 and the group with urine pH ≥5.5 refer to literature. We then evaluated the association between low urine pH and MS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After adjusting for age, sex, smoking status, drinking status, regular exercise, and blood urea nitrogen level, the odds ratio (OR) for the presence of MS in the group with urine pH <5.5 was 1.350 (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.158-1.573) using the American Heart Association/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute criteria or 1.304 (95% CI: 1.082-1.572) using the International Diabetes Federation criteria. Among MS components, elevated fasting glucose (OR: 1.231, 95% CI: 1.058-1.433, P = 0.007) and elevated triglyceride (TG) (OR: 1.389, 95% CI: 1.189-1.623, P < 0.001) showed a significantly high OR.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings confirmed that low urine pH is associated with MS in the Korean population. Among MS components, elevated fasting glucose and elevated TG showed a significantly high OR.
authors.affiliation: Family Medicine Clinic and Research Institute of Convergence of Biomedical Science and Technology, Yangsan, South Korea.
authors.forename: Young Hye
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Family Medicine Clinic and Research Institute of Convergence of Biomedical Science and Technology, Yangsan, South Korea ; Medical Education Unit and Medical Research Institute, Yangsan, South Korea.
authors.forename: Sang Yeoup
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Family Medicine Clinic and Research Institute of Convergence of Biomedical Science and Technology, Yangsan, South Korea.
authors.forename: Dong Wook
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.affiliation: Family Medicine Clinic and Research Institute of Convergence of Biomedical Science and Technology, Yangsan, South Korea.
authors.forename: Eun Jung
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Family Medicine Clinic and Research Institute of Convergence of Biomedical Science and Technology, Yangsan, South Korea.
authors.forename: Kyung Jee
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Pusan National University Hospital, Busan, South Korea.
authors.forename: Yun Jin
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Pusan National University Hospital, Busan, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jeong Gyu
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Pusan National University Hospital, Busan, South Korea.
authors.forename: Yu Hyone
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Pusan National University Hospital, Busan, South Korea.
authors.forename: Young Jin
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Tak
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Pusan National University, School of Medicine, Busan, South Korea.
authors.forename: Byung Mann
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan, South Korea.
authors.forename: Soo Bong
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Busan Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, South Korea.
authors.forename: Ka Young
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Lee
keywords: Association; insulin resistance; metabolic syndrome; urine