Serum Uric Acid and Phase Angle in Middle-Aged and Older Korean Adults: Spline-Based Associations and Implications for Muscle Health in KNHANES 2022–2024
- 1Graduate School of Physical Education, Myongji University, Yongin 17058, Republic of Korea
- 2Data Convergence Team, Office of Hospital Information, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam 13605, Republic of Korea
- 3KINAI Co., Ltd., Hanam-si 12913, Republic of Korea
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Serum uric acid, which has endogenous antioxidant properties, has shown inconsistent associations with muscle health. Bioelectrical impedance-derived phase angle reflects cell membrane integrity and muscle quality, but its relationship with uric acid remains insufficiently characterized in nationally representative populations. Methods: This cross-sectional study used Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) 2022–2024 data from Korean adults aged 55 years or older (N = 7201; 3139 men and 4062 women). Survey-weighted regression models with natural spline terms evaluated sex-stratified associations between serum uric acid and phase angle, adjusting for age, BMI, renal function, smoking, alcohol consumption, diabetes, and hypertension. Results: Significant spline-based associations between uric acid and phase angle were observed in both men (p = 0.0028) and women (p = 0.00002) in the fully adjusted model and remained robust across multiple sensitivity analyses. The uric acid × sex interaction was not significant (p = 0.499). Conclusions: Serum uric acid was significantly associated with phase angle in spline-based analyses, and the relationship may not be adequately summarized by a single linear coefficient. These findings suggest that both low and high uric acid levels should be interpreted cautiously and in conjunction with other clinical and metabolic indicators when interpreting phase angle as a BIA-derived physiological marker.
Related
- Treatment of Metabolic Syndrome Components and Prevalence Estimates Under Four Operational Definitions: Ten-Year Trends and Treatment–Residual Phenotypes in Korean Adults (KNHANES 2015–2024)
- Associations of Self-Reported Physical Activity with Gut Microbial Diversity and Community Structure in Young, Apparently Healthy Korean Men.
- Effects of Two Rg3-Enriched Korean Ginseng Preparations on Blood Pressure in Adults with Early-Stage Hypertension: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial
- Associations Between Gut Microbiota Abundance, Dietary Purine Intake, and Fecal Short-Chain Fatty Acids Across the Clinical Spectrum of Hyperuricemia: A Cross-Sectional Study in Mexican Adults
- Specialty-aware benchmark design, split integrity, and baseline evaluation for Korean medical question answering
BibTeX
@article{chun2026serum,
title = {{Serum Uric Acid and Phase Angle in Middle-Aged and Older Korean Adults: Spline-Based Associations and Implications for Muscle Health in KNHANES 2022–2024}},
author = {Buongo Chun and Kihyuk Lee},
journal = {Metabolites},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/metabo16110814},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/16/11/814},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Serum Uric Acid and Phase Angle in Middle-Aged and Older Korean Adults: Spline-Based Associations and Implications for Muscle Health in KNHANES 2022–2024
AU - Buongo Chun
AU - Kihyuk Lee
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/26
JO - Metabolites
DO - 10.3390/metabo16110814
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/16/11/814
AB - Background/Objectives: Serum uric acid, which has endogenous antioxidant properties, has shown inconsistent associations with muscle health. Bioelectrical impedance-derived phase angle reflects cell membrane integrity and muscle quality, but its relationship with uric acid remains insufficiently characterized in nationally representative populations. Methods: This cross-sectional study used Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) 2022–2024 data from Korean adults aged 55 years or older (N = 7201; 3139 men and 4062 women). Survey-weighted regression models with natural spline terms evaluated sex-stratified associations between serum uric acid and phase angle, adjusting for age, BMI, renal function, smoking, alcohol consumption, diabetes, and hypertension. Results: Significant spline-based associations between uric acid and phase angle were observed in both men (p = 0.0028) and women (p = 0.00002) in the fully adjusted model and remained robust across multiple sensitivity analyses. The uric acid × sex interaction was not significant (p = 0.499). Conclusions: Serum uric acid was significantly associated with phase angle in spline-based analyses, and the relationship may not be adequately summarized by a single linear coefficient. These findings suggest that both low and high uric acid levels should be interpreted cautiously and in conjunction with other clinical and metabolic indicators when interpreting phase angle as a BIA-derived physiological marker.
SN - 2218-1989
ER -