Background: Understanding the connection between body mass index (BMI) and serum uric acid and lipid levels has not been well explained in the south Asian younger population. Medical students form a peculiar sub population and their unique lifestyle might influence some metabolic parameters.
Methods: The present cross-sectional study done between the periods of January and June of the year 2024 at the PUMHSW Nawabshah is focused on 18–22-year-old second year female medical students. Participants had systolic blood pressure recorded along with anthropometric measurements and blood samples were also drawn during a 12-hour fasting period. An analysis of serum uric acid and lipid profiles were then done on the samples using a BioSystems analyzer. The statistical analysis was done using one-way Anova, MANOVA and Pearson correlation with Bonferroni adjustment.
Results: Among the 170 participants (mean age 19.8±0.9 years), the distribution of BMI was classified as follows: normal weight 41.2%, overweight 28.2%, obese 23.5%, and underweight 7.0%. Serum uric acid levels across BMI categories also increased: underweight 4.1±0.18 mg/dL, normal weight 5.0±0.29 mg/dL, overweight 6.3±0.15 mg/dL, and obese 7.8±0.28 mg/dL (all p<0.001 compared to underweight). Positive correlations also existed between BMI and serum uric acid (r=0.974). BMI correlates with lipids’ parameters as follows: total cholesterol (r=0.973), triglycerides (r=0.978), LDL cholesterol (r=0.981), and HDL cholesterol with r=-0.867.
Conclusion: BMI was positively related with serum uric acid concentration as well as with generalized disturbances of the lipid profile elevation of total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL cholesterol and reduction of HDL cholesterol.
ISSN-online 2360-2473 / ISSN-print 1223-0472
