Uric acid and unhealthy metabolic phenotype in Colombian children

Gina Gonzalez-Valencia; Johana Hernandez; Silvia Rueda; Nora Espinosa; Adriana Forero; Jose Balmaceda; Juan Gualdron; Juan Gaviria; Maria Montilla; Juan Velasquez

doi:10.5114/pedm.2025.158545

eISSN: 2083-8441
ISSN: 2081-237X

Pediatric Endocrinology Diabetes and Metabolism

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4/2025
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abstract:

Original paper

Uric acid and unhealthy metabolic phenotype in Colombian children

Gina Marcela Gonzalez-Valencia

¹

,

Johana Botero Hernandez

¹

,

Silvia Martinez Rueda

¹

,

Nora Alejandra Zuluaga Espinosa

^{1, 2}

,

Adriana Carolina Forero

^{1, 2}

,

Jose Leonardo Balmaceda

³

,

Juan Pablo Gualdron

³

,

Juan Jose Gaviria

⁴

,

Maria del Pilar Montilla

¹

,

Juan Manuel Alfaro Velasquez

¹

Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, School of Medicine, University of Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
Hospital Universitario San Vicente Fundación, Medellín, Colombia
Department of Pediatrics, Hospital Concejo de Medellín, Colombia
Department of Telemedicine, University of Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia

Pediatr Endocrinol Diabetes Metab 2025; 31 (4): 169-175

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5114/pedm.2025.158545

Online publish date: 2026/01/27

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Introduction
Overweight and obesity are an increasing public health problems in children. Currently, attempts are being made to identify differential markers between metabolically healthy individuals (MHO) and metabolically unhealthy children (MUHO). This study aimed to evaluate the differences in uric acid (UA) levels in children with overweight or obesity classified according to their metabolic phenotype using the 2018 Damanhoury criteria.

Material and methods
Retrospective cross-sectional study, included children aged 5–18 years who were evaluated at a pediatric endocrinology outpatient clinic. Eighty patients were evaluated; 36 were classified as MHO and 44 as MUHO according to the levels of triglycerides (TG), glucose, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and blood pressure. The mean difference in uric acid levels was evaluated using Student’s t-test. In addition, three insulin resistance index and their possible relationships with UA levels were analyzed.

Results
The mean age was 11.6 years (SD 3.2 years). Uric acid levels showed a statistically significant difference between the MUHO group (mean 5.4 mg/dl –1.3 SD) and the MHO group (mean 4.5 mg/dl –1.4 SD) (p = 0.0069). A moderate positive correlation was found between uric acid levels and TyG ratio (correlation 0.4137) and TG/HDL index (0.3813).

Conclusions
Uric acid levels were higher in MUHO patients and correlated with insulin resistance indexes. These findings could be used as metabolic risk markers for the evaluation of children with overweight/obesity.

keywords:

Uric acid and unhealthy metabolic phenotype in Colombian children

Gina Marcela Gonzalez-Valencia 1 , Johana Botero Hernandez 1 , Silvia Martinez Rueda 1 , Nora Alejandra Zuluaga Espinosa 1, 2 , Adriana Carolina Forero 1, 2 , Jose Leonardo Balmaceda 3 , Juan Pablo Gualdron 3 , Juan Jose Gaviria 4 , Maria del Pilar Montilla 1 , Juan Manuel Alfaro Velasquez 1

overweight, obesity, insulin resistance, uric acid, obesity metabolically benign