Association between Uric Acid and Metabolic Syndrome in Qazvin Metabolic Diseases Study (QMDS), Iran

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome (MS) has been increasing worldwide. Although Uric Acid (UA) Levels are often increased in subjects with MS, it is still unclear whether uric acid plays a causal role for MS or is a marker. The purpose of this was to examine the association between UA and the MS in Qazvin, Iran. METHODS: 529 men and 578 women aged 20 - 78 years attended in cross sectional study from September 2010 to April 2011 in Qazvin, Iran. The criteria proposed by new joint Interim societies (JIS) were applied for diagnosis of MS. Hyperuricemia was defined as UA ≥ 7 mg/dL in men and UA ≥ 6 mg/dL in women. Logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the relationship between UA quartiles and MS. RESULTS: The prevalence of MS was found to be 39.3%. Prevalence of hyperuricemia was 8.4% in males and 4.1% in females. (P= 0.004) Mean UA level was higher in males than in females. (P<0.001) UA levels increased significantly with an increasing number of MS components in both genders. Prevalence of MS increased across UA quartiles in females; however the increasing trend began from second quartile in males. Using the lowest quartile of UA level as a reference, there were no significant association between UA quartile groups and MS. CONCLUSION: This study showed that UA levels are not an appropriate predictor of MS in Iranian population. More longitudinal studies are necessary to confirm the role of UA in MS occurrence.