Correlation of serum uric acid with glycemic indices of diabetes mellitus subjects

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease associated with hyperglycemia and patients are at an increased risk of nephropathy, retinopathy and other diabetic complications. The present study was carried out to evaluate the correlation of uric acid with glycemic indices and possibly as a surrogate glycemic biomarker in diabetes mellitus. A total of one hundred (100) individuals were recruited for the study comprising of eighty (80) known diabetic and twenty (20) apparently healthy individuals. After an overnight fast, blood samples were collected and separated. Fasting blood sugar, HbA1C and uric acid were estimated using standard methods. Diabetes mellitus subjects exhibit a significantly (p<0.05) higher fasting blood sugar level than apparently healthy subjects. Also, the diabetes mellitus subjects showed a significantly (p<0.05) higher glycosylated haemoglobin and serum uric acid when compared with apparently healthy subjects but there was no gender difference observed among the diabetes mellitus subjects. There was a positive association between serum uric acid and fasting blood sugar as well as glycosylated haemoglobin. Uric acid showed positive association and significant correlation with fasting blood sugar and glycosylated haemoglobin. Thus serum uric acid may be a potential surrogate glycemic biomarker in diabetes mellitus.