Association between serum uric acid levels and the lipid accumulation product index among the University of Medical Sciences employees of the Azar cohort study

Elevated serum uric acid (SUA) levels (hyperuricemia (HUA)) contribute to the development and progression of metabolic disorders. Growing evidence links HUA to adverse lipid profiles and adiposity indices. The Lipid Accumulation Product (LAP) index is a reliable indicator that better reflects central lipid toxicity and metabolic risk. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the association of SUA with the LAP index in the Tabriz University of Medical Sciences employees of the Azar cohort study. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 1997 employees of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences participating in the cohort. Biochemical parameters, including triglycerides (TG), fasting blood sugar (FBS), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine (Cr), and SUA, were measured using standard enzymatic methods. The validated sex-specific formulas were used for calculating the LAP index. To assess the association between HUA and LAP, binary logistic regression was used. The prevalence of HUA was higher in men than women (69.5% vs. 30.5%; P < 0.001). Participants with HUA had significantly higher LAP, FBS, Cr, TG, and body mass index values ( P < 0.001). In addition, participants in the highest LAP tertile were over four times more likely to have HUA compared with those in the lowest tertile following adjustment for age, sex, BMI, WSI, physical activity, and underlying diseases, including hypertension, diabetes, daily energy intake (OR = 4.49; 95% CI: 2.88–6.99; P < 0.001). This positive association of LAP index with HUA persisted in both sexes but was stronger among women in the adjusted model (OR = 4.98; 95%CI: 2.42–10.23; P < 0.001). This study indicates the LAP index is a simple and practical index that may serve as a strong predictor of HUA. Future prospective and mechanistic studies are warranted to explore causality and sex-specific pathways.