Association between visceral fat area to skeletal muscle mass ratio and hyperuricemia among non-elderly US adults.

Background and aim: Sarcopenic visceral obesity is linked to an elevated metabolic risk. Our aim was to explore the possible link between visceral fat area to skeletal muscle mass ratio (VSR) and hyperuricemia risk in non-elderly U.S. adults.

Methods and results: This cross-sectional study evaluated 5519 non-elderly adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database. Visceral fat area (VFA) and appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) were measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Hyperuricemia was identified by serum uric acid (SUA) levels of 7 mg/dL or more in males and 6 mg/dL or more in females. Logistic regression, restricted cubic spline (RCS), and subgroup analyses were applied to investigate the association between VSR and hyperuricemia risk. As VSR levels increase, the prevalence of hyperuricemia becomes more pronounced (6.35 % vs. 14.45 % vs. 14.68 % vs. 17.03 %, P < 0.001). After adjusting for confounding factors, elevated VSR levels are associated with an increased risk of hyperuricemia (OR = 1.136, 95 %CI:1.051-1.229, P = 0.001). Individuals in the fourth quartile of VSR exhibit a higher risk of developing hyperuricemia compared to those in the first quartile (OR = 2.299, 95 %CI:1.328-3.979, P = 0.003). No specific populations were identified in the subgroup analysis. RCS analysis further supports a dose-response relationship.

Conclusions: VSR could serve as an epidemiological instrument to assess the impact of sarcopenic visceral obesity on the risk of hyperuricemia.