Association between normal-weight central obesity and asymptomatic hyperuricemia in Korean adults: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND

Obesity increases the risk of hyperuricemia. Recent studies have shown that normal-weight central obesity increases the risk of cardiometabolic disease. In this study, we examined the relationship between normal-weight central obesity and asymptomatic hyperuricemia in Korean adults aged > 20 years.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study included 14,501 adults who visited the health checkup center at a university hospital in 2021. The participants were classified based on sex, and were divided into four groups according to their body mass index and waist-to-height ratio as follows: normal weight, normal-weight central obesity, obesity, and obesity central obesity groups. The odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for asymptomatic hyperuricemia were analyzed separately using logistic regression models.

RESULTS

Regardless of sex, the prevalence of asymptomatic hyperuricemia was higher in the central obesity groups than in the normal weight group. The odds ratios for asymptomatic hyperuricemia were higher in the normal-weight central obesity group than in the normal weight group, even after adjusting for confounding factors (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

In Korean adults aged over 20 years, normal-weight central obesity was significantly associated with asymptomatic hyperuricemia. Therefore, screening tests and proper management of asymptomatic hyperuricemia in normal-weight central obesity individuals are necessary.