Prakash Gurupad Mantur
BACKGROUND
Raised serum uric acid has been associated with a lot of diseases like hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, chronic kidney disease, peripheral vascular diseases and metabolic disorders. But, the association of serum uric acid levels to that of diabetes mellitus has not been successfully understood. A sincere effort has been put in this study to find out the serum uric acid levels in normal individuals, prediabetics and diabetics and come to a conclusion on the correlation of serum uric acid in diabetes mellitus.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
One hundred eighty people who visited the Department of Medicine were selected. The study included ninety males and ninety females and in each group there were thirty non-diabetic, thirty prediabetics and thirty diabetics. Prediabetics were considered as 110 to 125 mg/dL (6.1 mM/L to 6.9 mM/L) - that is WHO criteria was followed. All the subjects were aged between 40-60 years. The correlations were made between the serum uric acid levels and serum fasting glucose, serum postprandial and HbA1c.
RESULTS
The results show a rise in the serum uric acid levels in the prediabetic and not so much in the non-diabetics and the confirmed diabetics.
CONCLUSION
The serum uric acid level measurements can be used as a powerful tool in identifying the prediabetic condition and help an individual to make the necessary lifestyle adjustments so that the progression of the diseases can be stopped or maybe infinitely delayed.
