Researchers at Bundang CHA Hospital and Chaum Life Center have found a relationship between urine organic acids and metabolic syndrome.

“It is often difficult for people with metabolic syndrome to know which metabolic problem they have,” the hospital said.

Therefore, the team -- led by Professors Ham Jee-hee at Chaum Life Center and Kim Young-sang of the department of family medicine at Bundang CHA Hospital -- conducted a study to evaluate the relationship between metabolic syndrome and urine organic acid concentration to clarify which metabolic process is problematic in such patients.

The team conducted the study by analyzing 246 men and 283 women who received tests for organic acids in the urine at Chaum Life Clinic. It then confirmed specific urine organic acid concentrations -- pyruvate, α-ketoglutarate, α-ketoisovalerate, α-ketoisocaproate, formiminoglutamate, and quinolinate -- increased in patients suffering from metabolic syndromes, such as obesity, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes.

The research team improved the study's accuracy by analyzing the relationship with insulin resistance, known as the main pathophysiology of the existing metabolic syndrome.

“We expect that the study will help understand the pathophysiology of metabolic syndrome,” the team said. “We also believe that it will contribute to a metabolic approach to solve metabolic syndrome, obesity, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes in the future.”

Metabolic syndrome is diagnosed when three or more of the five items -- abdominal obesity, elevated blood pressure, elevated fasting blood sugar, lowered high-density cholesterol, and heightened triglycerides.

The syndrome is a known risk factor for diabetes, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, and overall mortality.

The results of the study were published in the July issue of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine.