Association between serum uric acid and relative handgrip strength compared using metabolic syndrome components

Abstract Background: This study investigated the association between serum uric acid (UA) and relative handgrip strength (HGS) using metabolic syndrome components.Methods: We analyzed the data of 5,579 Korean adults aged ≥20 years (2,486 men and 3,093 women) who participated in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey VII (2018).Results: Among women, relative HGS was significantly lower in participants with hyperuricemia (1.61 ± 0.03) than in those without (1.92 ± 0.01) and was significantly decreased in the highest quartile (4Q:1.74 ± 0.02) of serum UA compared with that in the lowest quartile (1Q:1.96 ± 0.02). Among men, relative HGS was lower in participants with hyperuricemia (3.09 ± 0.03 vs. 3.15 ± 0.02) and decreased in the highest quartiles (4Q:3.08 ± 0.03) of serum UA compared with that in the lowest quartile (1Q:3.14 ± 0.03); however, these results were not statistically significant. In age- and multivariate-adjusted analyses in men, relative HGS was significantly lower in 4Q compared with that in 1Q in model 1 (adjusted for age), but there were no significant differences in model 2 (adjusted for age, body mass index, and waist circumference) and model 3 (adjusted for age, body mass index, waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, triglycerides and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol). Meanwhile in women, relative HGS was significantly decreased in 4Q compared with that in 1Q in all models.Conclusions: An inverse correlation was observed between serum UA levels and relative HGS. These results were particularly significant in women, and their significance was maintained even after adjusting for age and metabolic syndrome components.