Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2006, 209(3)

Serum Uric Acid as an Obesity-Related Indicator in Early Adolescence

CHIKAKO OYAMA,1 TSUTOMU TAKAHASHI,1,2 MIKA OYAMADA,1 TASUKU OYAMADA,2 TADASHI OHNO,2 MASAHIRO MIYASHITA,2 SEIJI SAITO,2 KAZUO KOMATSU,2 KOUEI TAKASHINA3 and GORO TAKADA1,2

1Department of Pediatrics, Akita University School of Medicine, Akita, 2School Health Committee, Akita Medical Association, Akita, and 3Akita Prefectural Institute of Public Health, Akita, Japan

In adults, serum uric acid levels are positively correlated with body mass index (BMI) and hyperuricemia is considered to be a common lifestyle disorder related with obesity. However, the relation of serum uric acid levels with obesity has not been elucidated in children and adolescents. Serum uric acid levels were determined in 1,729 healthy children, consisted of 923 boys and 806 girls, aged 9.1 - 15.0 years. The incidence of hyperuricemia (defined as more than 7.0 mg/dl) in boys and girls were 8.8% and 0.6%, respectively. In 1,281 children out of all subjects, including 684 boys and 597 girls, height, weight, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase were also determined and the correlations between serum uric acid levels and obesity were analyzed. BMI is popularly used as a standard indicator of obesity in adults. However, BMI increases without fat accumulation as children grow. In Japan, percentage of overweight (POW) is usually used as an alternative indicator for obesity. In general, children are evaluated as obesity, when POW is equal to or more than 20% (≥20%). Serum uric acid levels are positively correlated with obesity-related indicators, BMI and POW, in both boys and girls. Serum uric acid levels of the subjects with high POW (≥ 20%) are significantly higher than those of the subjects with low POW (< 20%) in both boys and girls. These results suggest that serum uric acid levels are significantly increased with obesity and could be used as one of obesity-related indicators even in early adolescence.

keywords —— serum uric acid; hyperuricemia; children; body mass index; percentage of overweight

© 2006 Tohoku University Medical Press

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Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2006, 209, 257-262

Correspondence: Tsutomu Takahashi, M.D., Department of Pediatrics, Akita University School of Medicine, Hondo 1-1-1, Akita 010-8543, Japan.

e-mail: tomy@med.akita-u.ac.jp