Evaluation of Serum Uric Acid in Patients with Obesity in Nigerian Tertiary Hospital

Background: Obesity has been recognized as an important risk factor for hyperuricemia although the exact mechanism is not well understood. The goal of this study is to evaluate serum uric acid levels in obese subjects. Methods: A total of 100 individuals with 50 obese patients and 50 healthy non-obese controls. Serum uric acid, total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL - C), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL - C) and triglycerides (TGs) were measured. Serum uric acid was evaluated using uricase method. The serum TC was estimated using modified Liebermann – Burchard reaction. HDL – C estimation involved a two – staged procedure using Liebermann Burchard reaction, LDL – C was calculated using Friedwald’s equation while TGs were estimated using enzymatic methods on commercial kits. Results: In this study, serum uric acid levels were significantly higher in the obese group compared to healthy controls (510.0 + 72.5 Vs 320.0 + 34.2: p<0.001). Conclusion: Hyperuricemia has been observed in patients with obesity and therefore the need to screen all obese patients for serum uric acid levels.