Uric acid: A new marker for metabolic syndrome? Results of a population-based study with adults.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Recently, studies have shown a positive association between serum uric acid (UA) and metabolic syndrome (MS). To evaluate the predictive capacity and the association of serum UA with pre-MS and MS, by sex, in adults. METHODS AND RESULTS: Cross-sectional study with 932 adults, of both sexes, from Viçosa, Minas Gerais (MG), Brazil. Sociodemographic and behavioral data were obtained through a questionnaire and anthropometric, clinical, and biochemical evaluation. We used multinomial logistic regression and the area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). The prevalence of pre-MS was 17.8% and of MS was 26.5%. The fitted models showed positive association of serum UA with pre-MS (OR = 1.62, 95% CI = 1.09-2.40) and MS (OR = 2.61, 95% CI = 1.99-3.42) among men. For women, similar results were found for MS (OR = 2.59, 95% CI = 1.81-3.73). The optimal cutoff points obtained by AUC for pre-MS and MS were 4.7 and 4.9 mg/dL among men and 3.1 and 3.4 mg/dL among women, respectively. CONCLUSION: The results point to a positive association of UA with pre-MS and MS, with no significant differences between sexes. Therefore, UA can be used as an additional marker in the screening of these conditions.