Abstract 13788: Effects of Weight Loss on Serum Uric Acid Levels

Abstract

Objective: We previously reported that serum uric acid (UA) levels may predict future BP elevation and renal complications. Obese and hypertensive individuals have frequently higher UA than lean and normotensive individuals. The present study evaluated the effect of weight loss (WL) on seum UA levels, and further compared the benefits on UA levels between WL programs with a calorie restricted diet (D) alone, exercise (EX) alone or a combination of D+EX over 24 weeks.

Methods: The 3 groups each comprised 30 obese, hypertensive men. BMI, fat-mass, waist-to-hip ratio (W/H), BP, plasma norepinephrine (NE), HOMA-IR and UA were measured every 2 weeks over 24 weeks with WL regimen.

Results: All basal parameters and prevalence of hyperuricacidemia were similar among the 3 groups (prevalence of hyperUA, D 66.7%, EX 66.7%, D+EX 70.0%). At 24 weeks, the D+EX group showed a significantly higher prevalence of normotensive subjects and subjects with normal UA levels than the D or EX alone group (D+EX 73.3%, D 63.3%, EX 53.3%, vs. D, χ²=8.71, P<0.05, vs. EX, χ²=13.92 P<0.05). In the D alone group, plasma NE decreased significantly at 2 weeks, and UA decreased at 4 weeks. Significant reductions in BMI, fat-mass and BP were observed at 8 weeks, and HOMA-IR decreased at 12 weeks. In the EX alone group, significant reductions of fat-mass and HOMA-IR were observed at 4 weeks. UA and NE were significantly reduced at 8 weeks whilst decreases in BP were detected at 12 weeks. BMI and W/H were similar at 8 weeks between D alone and EX alone groups. In the D+EX group, significant reductions in UA and NE were observed at 2 weeks followed by significant decreases in BMI, fat-mass, W/H ratio, BP levels and HOMA-IR at 4 weeks. The magnitudes of reductions of all parameters were greatest in the D+EX group than D or EX alone groups.

Conclusions: Serum UA levels decreased significantly in all WL regimen (D, EX, D+EX), however a mild calorie restricted diet was more beneficial treatment on serum UA reduction associated with suppression on plasma NE than exercise. Serum UA reduction with WL regimen were observed prior to significant WL or BP reduction, but synchronized with suppression on sympathetic nervous activity. In conclusion, WL is a beneficial treatment for UA reduction in obese hypertensive patients.