Hyperuricemia is Associated with the Presence of Metabolically Obese Normal-Weight and Metabolically Healthy Obese Phenotypes.

BACKGROUND: It is well-recognized that hyperuricemia is a common abnormality among individuals with metabolic syndrome.

AIMS: The objective of this study was to determine whether hyperuricemia is associated with the metabolically obese normal-weight (MONW) and metabolically healthy obese (MHO) phenotypes.

METHODS: Men and women equal or greater than 18 years of age were enrolled in a cross-sectional study. Normal-weight subjects were allocated into the MONW or healthy normal-weight (HNW) groups; while obese individuals were divided into the MHO and metabolically unhealthy obese (MUO) subgroups. MONW phenotype was defined by body mass index (BMI) <25.0 kg/m2 accompanied by at least one cardiovascular risk factor (hyperglycemia, elevated blood pressure, hypertriglyceridemia, and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol), and MHO phenotype was considered in obese subjects (BMI ≥30 kg/m2 ) without metabolic abnormalities.

RESULTS: A total of 567 individuals were enrolled; of them, normal-weight subjects were allocated into the MONW (n = 101) and control (n = 72) groups, whereas obese individuals into the MHO (n = 61) and MUO (n = 333) groups. The multiple logistic regression analysis adjusted by age, gender, and body mass index revealed that hyperuricemia is significantly associated with MONW (OR = 5.14; 95% CI: 1.37-19.29) and MHO (OR = 0.34; 95% CI: 0.14-0.82) phenotypes.

CONCLUSION: Results of our study showed that hyperuricemia is associated with both MONW and MHO phenotypes.