Correlation of serum uric acid with intelligence in medical and dental students of a Medical College in Kathmandu

Abstract

Introduction: History cites many pioneers and doyens in their fields to have suffered from gouty attacks due to hyperuricemia. As uric acid which has a structure similar to cerebral stimulants like theobromine and caffeine is also linked to be involved in the development of the human brain mainly the frontal lobes, which represent higher intelligence. This study is aimed to explore on the assumption that the blood uric acid and intelligence are correlated.

Methods: A purposive sample of 109 first year medical and dental students was included in this study after their written consents. Serum uric acid was assessed in the auto analyzer Siemens dimension by the Uricase enzymatic method.  The intelligence was determined by using “The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale—Fourth Edition”. Data collected were tabulated in SPSS 21 and correlational analysis was done. 

Results: Out of total 109 students 56.9% were Female and 43.1% were male. Uric acid level was higher in males compared to females. Mean Intelligence Quotient score was 99.72 (SD 12.882) and mean uric acid was 5.2. Intelligence Quotient was graded from low average to very superior, out of which 66 (60.6%) were average, 16 (14.7%) were high average, six (5.5%) were superior, two (1.8%) were very superior and remaining were low average. There was no significant correlation of sex and diet with Intelligence Quotient score. No significant correlation was obtained between diet and uric acid level (28.556 / .994). On comparing Intelligence Quotient with Uric acid level no statistically significant correlation was obtained.

Conclusion: In our study, the association between the Intelligence Quotient and serum uric acid level is observed to be not significant statistically.