Increased childhood BMI is associated with young adult serum uric acid levels: a linkage study from Japan

BACKGROUND: Growth pattern in early life is one of the most important factors affecting the pathogenesis of metabolic associated diseases. The associations between serum uric acid (SUA) and hypertension, kidney disease, and coronary heart disease have been recognized. We investigated the association between increased BMI during childhood and adult SUA levels in Japan. METHODS: We included 298 children with health examination data between 1981 and 2002 who had also undergone physical examinations after reaching early adulthood (approximately 27 y old). Subjects were divided into sex-specific tertiles based on the difference in their BMI (DBMI) over a 6-y period (6-12 y of age). The association between the three DBMI groups and SUA in adults was analyzed. RESULTS: The predicted average SUA level in adults from the high DBMI group was 5.32 mg/dl after adjustment for related factors in a combined sex analysis. This was significantly higher than among the low DBMI group. CONCLUSION: Excessive BMI increases during childhood led to young adult SUA elevation even after adjusting for several factors. Lifestyle in early life may be a strong predictor of future uric acid metabolism and the resulting disease risk.