A study published in Clinical Nutrition Research evaluated the effects of bariatric surgery on serum uric acid levels in obese patients. Hyperuricemia (HUA) is a condition in which there are abnormally high levels of uric acid in the blood, and it has been associated with metabolic syndrome risk factors such as obesity, insulin resistance, and dyslipidemia.
Obesity is also a major modifiable and independent risk factor for HUA and gout. Previous studies have shown that weight loss reduces serum urate levels and decreases the incidence of gouty arthritis, and weight loss is recommended for obese or overweight patients with gout.
Bariatric surgery can be an effective method for weight loss in morbidly obese patients, but evidence concerning its effects on serum uric acid levels is limited and not fully understood. The current retrospective study included 41 patients with a BMI >35 kg/m2 who underwent sleeve gastrectomy or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass from September 2019 to October 2021. The study aimed to evaluate the serum uric acid concentration in obese subjects before and after bariatric surgery.
Researchers found that bariatric surgery resulted in a significant decrease in serum uric acid levels from baseline to 6 and 12 months postoperatively. Additionally, the decreases in serum fasting blood sugar, serum triglyceride, and serum cholesterol were significant during the 6 and 12 months of follow-up. However, the increase in high-density lipoprotein was not statistically significant in the 6 and 12 months of follow-up. Although the serum level of low-density lipoprotein decreased significantly during 6 months of follow-up, it was not significant after 12 months.
“In conclusion, this retrospective study demonstrated that bariatric surgery could significantly reduce serum uric acid levels,” the researchers wrote. “Thus, bariatric surgery may be an effective supplementary therapy for lowering serum uric acid concentrations in morbidly obese patients and reducing the risk of gout or other HUA-related diseases.”