title: Visceral fat obesity is highly associated with primary gout in a metabolically obese but normal weighted population: a case control study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gout is a chronic inflammatory disease the development of which is associated with obesity-induced metabolic abnormalities. However, a substantial number of non-obese patients (body mass index [BMI] <25 kg/m(2)) also develop gout in Korea. It was suggested that accumulation of visceral fat rather than subcutaneous fat is associated with metabolic abnormalities and hyperuricemia in patients with gout; therefore, we hypothesized that visceral fat accumulation was increased in non-obese gout patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and three male patients with primary gout and 204 age-matched healthy controls who attended a health check-up examination were recruited after the review of medical charts. The visceral fat area (VFA) was measured using the bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) method, and a VFA >100 cm(2) was defined as visceral fat obesity (VFO). The frequency of VFO was compared in patients and control groups. The frequencies of metabolic syndrome and related parameters were also investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  BMI, waist circumference, total fat mass, serum triglycerides, and serum glucose levels were significantly greater in patients compared with controls. VFA and the prevalence of VFO was increased in gout patients compared with controls. There were positive correlations between VFA and serum triglyceride levels and serum glucose levels. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that VFO is an independent risk factor for gout (odds ratio 2.488, 95% confidence interval 1.041-4.435). In non-obese subgroup analyses (gout patients, n = 38; healthy controls, n = 150), VFA (98.7 ± 19.3 vs. 91.0 ± 16.7, P = 0.016) and the frequency of VFO (47.4 vs. 27.3%, P = 0.017) remained significantly higher in gout patients. There was no difference in either BMI or total fat mass between patients and controls in the non-obese subgroup. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome in patients with gout was 31.7% (33/104), compared with 13.2% (5/38) in the non-obese subgroup according to modified ATP III criteria.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  VFO, measured using BIA, is observed more frequently in patients with primary gout compared with healthy controls, even in non-obese individuals. Therefore, VFO might more properly represent metabolic derangements in patients with gout than general obesity.
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, 222 Banpo-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul, 137-701, Republic of Korea. poohish@catholic.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, 222 Banpo-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul, 137-701, Republic of Korea. agnesljy@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Ji-Yeon
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, 222 Banpo-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul, 137-701, Republic of Korea. cumccmc@naver.com.
authors.forename: Jae-Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, 222 Banpo-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul, 137-701, Republic of Korea. pobi28@catholic.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Seung-Min
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Institute of Health Science, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine, 79 Gangnam-ro, Jinju, 660-702, Republic of Korea. tatabox123@hanmail.net.
authors.forename: Young Sun
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Suh
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, 222 Banpo-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul, 137-701, Republic of Korea. sagemarple@naver.com.
authors.forename: Jung-Hee
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Koh
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, 222 Banpo-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul, 137-701, Republic of Korea. seungki73@catholic.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Seung-Ki
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Kwok
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, 222 Banpo-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul, 137-701, Republic of Korea. juji@catholic.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Ji Hyeon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Ju
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, St. Vincent's Hospital, 93 Jungbu-daero (Ji-dong), Paldal-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, 442-723, Republic of Korea. pkyungsu@catholic.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Kyung-Su
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, 222 Banpo-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul, 137-701, Republic of Korea. rapark@catholic.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Sung-Hwan
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006073:Gout / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D011159:Population Surveillance; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors