Relationship between serum uric acid levels and hepatic steatosis in non-obese postmenopausal women

AbstractObjective Serum uric acid levels have been reported to be associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, very few studies specifically examining the relationship between serum uric acid (SUA) levels and NAFLD in postmenopausal women have been reported in China, especially in postmenopausal women with normal body mass index (BMI) in whom NAFLD is not uncommon.Methods A cross-sectional study was employed of 528 Chinese normal-BMI postmenopausal women (aged 41–79 years) who participated in annual health check-ups. NAFLD is defined as a hepatic steatosis observed on liver ultrasonography in the absence of a second cause. Of all the participants, 121 women were diagnosed with hepatic steatosis (NAFLD group) and the others were without (non-NAFLD group). SUA quartiles were defined as follows: Q1, < 3.8 mg/dl; Q2, 3.8–4.4 mg/dl; Q3, 4.5–5.0 mg/dl; Q4, 5.1–6.0 mg/dl. Stepwise multivariable regression analysis was used to assess the relationships between SUA level and other variables. ...