The Association Between Uric Acid and Hepatic Function Markers With the Metabolic Syndrome in Middle-aged, Overweight, and Obese People

The role of hepatic and renal function on the development of the metabolic syndrome is not well studied in obese, middle-aged, and elderly people. We enrolled 117 consecutive overweight or obese patients and measured their aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyltransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and serum uric acid levels. In all, 82 patients (70%) had the metabolic syndrome. Patients with the metabolic syndrome had considerably increased serum uric acid, alanine aminotransferase, and gamma-glutamyltransferase levels. Moreover, serum uric acid, alanine aminotransferase, and gamma-glutamyltransferase levels increased as the number of components of the metabolic syndrome increased. These biochemical markers could help identify patients with the metabolic syndrome who are at increased risk for future cardiovascular events. The above-mentioned markers seem to have a diagnostic ability in classifying obese people with metabolic syndrome. Whether by lowering serum uric acid and gamma-glutamyltransferase levels with the use of drugs or simply by avoiding alcohol consumption could we ameliorate cardiovascular risk among patients with the metabolic syndrome, remains to be elucidated.