Inverse association between uric acid levels and muscle quality index in adults: a cross-sectional analysis of NHANES 2011–2014

• Published in: BMC public health Vol. 24; no. 1; pp. 3109 - 9
• Main Authors: Wen, Haibin, Li, Xianhua, Tan, Ning
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 11.11.2024; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Adult; Adults; Analysis; Body mass index; Comorbidity; Cross-sectional analysis; Cross-Sectional Studies; Curve fitting; Diabetes; Exercise; Family income; Female; Glucose; Health aspects; Health status indicators; Humans; Hyperlipidemia; Hypertension; Inclusion; Kidney diseases; Lifestyles; Male; Marital status; Measurement; Middle Aged; Muscle health; Muscle Quality Index (MQI); Muscle strength; Muscle Strength - physiology; Muscle, Skeletal - metabolism; Musculoskeletal system; NHANES; Nutrition Surveys; Population; Quartiles; Regression analysis; Secondary schools; Sedentary behavior; Sociodemographics; Software; Subgroups; United States; Uric acid; Uric Acid - blood; Variables; Variance analysis; Young Adult; United States; United States > US; Muscle Quality Index (MQI); NHANES; Uric acid; Muscle health; Cross-sectional analysis
• DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-20559-w
• ISSN: 1471-2458

The objective of this study was to delineate the association between serum uric acid (UA) levels and Muscle Quality Index (MQI), assessing muscle strength relative to mass, in adults aged 20 to 59 years. Utilizing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011-2014, this study examined the association between UA levels and MQI-a ratio of muscle strength to mass. Weighted linear models, adjusted for potential confounders, assessed the relationship, with a generalized additive model (GAM) probing for non-linear patterns. Subgroup analyses and interaction effects were conducted using weighted linear regression across diverse demographic and clinical groups to ensure the robustness and reliability of our findings. Among 5,277 participants, a significant inverse association was observed between UA levels and MQI, with a 0.08 decrease in MQI per 1 mg/dL increase in UA (95% CI: -0.11 to -0.06, p < 0.001). The negative trend was dose-dependent across UA quartiles, which was most pronounced in the highest quartile (Q4: -0.28, 95% CI: -0.36 to -0.19, p < 0.001). Curve-fitting analysis revealed a consistent inverse relationship without evidence of non-linearity. Stratified analyses reinforced the core findings across all examined subgroups, highlighting the universal relevance of the observed association. Our findings demonstrate a significant inverse association between elevated serum UA levels and MQI, highlighting the potential importance of uric acid management in enhancing muscle quality among young and middle-aged adults. The consistency of this relationship across different subgroups underscores the need for targeted strategies and interventions to manage UA levels. Future research should explore longitudinal impacts and intervention outcomes to further elucidate the potential benefits of uric acid management on muscle health.