Serum uric acid and insulin sensitivity in adolescents and adults with and without type 1 diabetes

J Diabetes Complications. 2014 May-Jun;28(3):298-304. doi: 10.1016/j.jdiacomp.2013.12.007. Epub 2013 Dec 27.

Abstract

Hypothesis: Decreased insulin sensitivity (IS) exists in type 1 diabetes. Serum uric acid (SUA), whose concentration is related to renal clearance, predicts vascular complications in type 1 diabetes. SUA is also inversely associated with IS in non-diabetics, but has not been examined in type 1 diabetes. We hypothesized SUA would be associated with reduced IS in adolescents and adults with type 1 diabetes.

Methods: The cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of SUA with IS were investigated in 254 adolescents with type 1 diabetes and 70 without in the Determinants of Macrovascular Disease in Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes Study, and in 471 adults with type 1 diabetes and 571 without in the Coronary Artery Calcification in Type 1 diabetes (CACTI) study.

Results: SUA was lower in subjects with type 1 diabetes (p<0.0001), but still remained inversely associated with IS after multivariable adjustments in adolescents (β±SE: -1.99±0.62, p=0.001, R2 =2%) and adults (β±SE: -0.91±0.33, p=0.006, R2 = 6%) with type 1 diabetes, though less strongly than in non-diabetic controls (adolescents: β±SE: -2.70±1.19, p=0.03, R2 = 15%, adults: β±SE: -5.99±0.75, p<0.0001, R2 =39%).

Conclusion: We demonstrated a significantly weaker relationship between SUA and reduced IS in subjects with type 1 diabetes than non-diabetic controls.

Keywords: Adolescents and adults; Insulin sensitivity; Serum uric acid; Type 1 diabetes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Age Factors
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Child
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / blood*
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / complications
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / physiopathology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Insulin Resistance / physiology*
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Risk Factors
  • Uric Acid / blood*
  • Vascular Diseases / epidemiology
  • Vascular Diseases / etiology
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Uric Acid