[Uric acid predicts type 2 diabetes mellitus in the general population]

Abnormal uric acid levels are considered by some to be a risk factor for metabolic disorders, whereas others consider it to be just a marker. We therefore examined the association between plasma uric acid concentrations and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

We undertook a prospective, 8-year study of 411 persons from the general population with no carbohydrate metabolism disorder at the start of the study evaluated by oral glucose overload. The following variables were measured at the beginning and end of the study: uric acid, triglycerides, cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, glucose and insulin in plasma, body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio. The participants were classified according to their plasma uric acid concentration, with a cut-off at the 33rd percentile (men, 291.45 and women, 208.18 micromol/l).

Participants with plasma uric acid concentrations above the 33rd percentile at the start of the study had worse lipid and anthropometric profiles. These persons were at greater risk for carbohydrate disorder at the end of the 8- year follow-up study (relative risk, 1.73; 95% confidence interval, 1.04-2.8). No significant differences were found in age or in the remaining variables studied between these two groups.

Increased uric acid levels in response to a possible chronic increase in oxidative stress may predict future disorders or complications such as type 2 diabetes in otherwise healthy persons.