Serum uric acid, hyperuricemia and body mass index in children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities.
Check uric acid yearly in heavier kids with ID—three in ten boys already have silent hyperuricemia.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Doctors in Taiwan drew blood from the students with intellectual disability. The kids were 6-18 years old and attended special-education schools.
They checked uric acid levels and recorded height, weight, age, and sex. High uric acid is called hyperuricemia and can lead to gout or kidney stones.
What they found
Almost one in three boys (30.6 %) had high uric acid. Only 17.9 % of girls did.
Older age, male sex, and higher BMI each raised the odds. The heaviest kids were twice as likely to have the problem.
How this fits with other research
Doughty et al. (2015) and Patton et al. (2020) show the same group keeps getting sick as adults. Their papers find adults with ID face more surgery complications and medication errors.
Rosa et al. (2016) seems to disagree. They link low family income and low IQ to more mental-health problems, while Jin-Ding links higher BMI (often tied to poverty) to physical-health problems. The difference is outcome: one tracks mood, the other tracks blood chemistry.
Mount et al. (2011) also measured a blood chemical in kids with disability. They found lower detox enzymes in Down syndrome, showing biochemical surprises are common in this population.
Why it matters
High uric acid is silent until joints or kidneys hurt. Add a standing lab order for uric acid to annual screenings for any child with ID who carries extra weight. Share the number with parents and the pediatrician so diet, water intake, or medication can start early. Preventing gout today avoids pain and hospital days tomorrow.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The aims of the preset study were to describe the profile of serum uric acid, the prevalence of hyperuricemia and its risk factors among children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 941 children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities (aged 4-18 years) who participated in annual health examinations in three special schools in Taiwan. This study indicated 30.6% boys and 17.9% girls with intellectual disabilities were with hyperuricemia in Taiwan. The factors of gender, age and BMI were variables that can significantly predict the hyperuricemia occurrence in this vulnerable population. Those children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities were boys (OR=2.93, 95% CI=2.02-4.26) and older age (OR=6.49, 95% CI=2.19-19.21) were more likely to be hyperuricemia. With regard to BMI to hyperuricemia occurrence, those children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities were overweight (OR=1.16-3.21, 95% CI=1.16-3.21) and being obese (OR=4.95-11.58, 95% CI=4.95-11.58) was more likely to have a hyperuricemia than the normal weight group. This study provides the general profile of serum uric acid, hyperuricemia and its risk factors of children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities. Medical professionals should be highly alert to the possible consequences of hyperuricemia and provide useful information about the clinical manifestation of this condition for caregivers of children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2009 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2009.07.008