The increasing incidence of obesity and metabolic syndrome over the past few decades has coincided with a marked increase in total fructose intake. Fructose, unlike other sugars, causes serum uric acid levels to rise rapidly and uric acid reduces levels of endothelial nitric oxide, a key mediator of insulin action. Interestingly, along with its inflammatory properties, nitric oxide increases blood flow to skeletal muscle and enhances glucose uptake and animals deficient in endothelial nitric oxide develop insulin resistance and other features of metabolic syndrome.
Dr Rick Johnsons research shows that the epidemic of the metabolic syndrome is due in part to fructose-induced hyperuricaemia that reduces endothelial nitric oxide levels and induces insulin resistance. Consistent with this hypothesis is the observation that changes in mean uric acid levels correlate with the increasing prevalence of metabolic syndrome. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome increases substantially with increasing levels of serum uric acid.
Dr Johnson and his team have observed that a serum uric acid level above 5.5 mg/dl independently predicted the development of hyperinsulinemia at both 6 and 12 months in non-diabetic patients with first-time myocardial infarction. Fructose-induced hyperuricaemia results in endothelial dysfunction and insulin resistance, and might be a novel causal mechanism behind heart disease. He postulates that uric acid contributes to heart disease due to its inflammatory potential and looks at the causal relationship between gout and high uric acid and cardiovascular disease. It turns out that urate crystals are present not just in the joints, but in the vasculature and there is a direct
association with these crystals and vascular calcification.
Metabolic syndrome is a comorbidity of hyperuricaemia and needs treatment to prevent serious complications, including heart disease. Dr Johnson will discuss ways to lower uric acid via diet, Vitamin C and medication. Dr Johnson is a prolific scientist with research that's been funded by the NIH since the 1980s. He has published over 700 papers and lectured in over 45 countries. His work has been highly cited and his books include "Sugar. The fat switch." and "Nature Wants Us To Be Fat."
Google Scholar link to Dr Johnsons work.
