Serum uric acid levels are associated with homeostasis model assessment in obese nondiabetic patients: HOMA and uric acid

Background: Hyperuricemia leads to insulin resistance, whereas insulin resistance decreases renal excretion of uric acid. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether there is a correlation between serum uric acid levels with homeostatic model assessment (HOMA) 1 in nondiabetic patients.

Methods: We evaluated 88 nondiabetic patients, in whom uric acid levels were measured, in all of them HOMA of β-cell function (HOMA 1B) and HOMA of insulin resistance (HOMA 1IR) scores were performed. Uric acid and the HOMA 1 values were correlated using the Pearson coefficient.

Results: We did not find any correlation between uric acid levels with both HOMA 1B (r = 0.102, p = 0.343), nor with HOMA 1IR (r = 0.158, p = 0.117). When patients were analyzed by sex, we found a significant correlation with HOMA 1IR (0.278, p = 0.01), but not with HOMA 1B (0.138, p = 0.257) in women. We found a correlation with HOMA 1B in men (r = 0.37, p = 0.044), but not with HOMA 1IR: 0.203, p = 0.283. The analysis performed based on body mass index did not show correlation in the patients with normal weight, (HOMA 1B r = 0.08, p = 0.5, HOMA 1IR = 0.034, p = 0.793), nor in the patients who were overweight (HOMA 1B: r = 0.05, p = 0.76, HOMA 1IR r = 0.145, p = 0.43). However, a significant correlation between uricemia with both HOMA 1B (0.559, p < 0.001), and HOMA 1IR (0.326, p < 0.05), was observed in obese patients.

Conclusion: Our results suggest that serum uric acid levels seem to be associated with insulin resistance in women, and in obese patients, but not in nonobese men. Uric acid also modifies β-cell function in men and in obese patients.