Background
: Hyperuricemia is commonly encountered clinical problem in laboratory results. In the Past, hyperuricemia was emphasized by cause of gout only, but it is argued that hyperuricemia is an independent risk factor of atherosclerosis recently in 1980's. Therefore to survey the frequency of hyperuricemia in normal person and to analyze relationship between hyperuricemia and several risk factors of atherosclerosis, we investigated this study.

Methods : From June 1990 to March 1991, in 4,395 persons who visited AMC Health Examination Center and examed health condition, we investigated the frequency of hyperuricemia and compared age, sex, scholarship, occupation, smoking, alcohol, past medical history, obesity indices, blood pressure, serum lipid profiles and serum glucose between hyperuricemic group and normouricemic group.

Results : In total surveyed persons, mean serum uric acid level is 5.99±1.33mg/dl in men, 4.25±0.96mg/dl in women. Hyperuricemia is noted in 12.7% of total surveyed persons, 19.2% in men, 4.4% in women. In hyperuricemic group there are significant higher mean values of Broca's indes, body mass index, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL-cholesterol than normouricemic group. Mean value of HLD-cholesterol in hyperuricemic group is lower than that in normouricemic group and mean value of glucose is no significantly different between normouricemics and hyperuricemics. There are significant differences in scholorship, ocupation but no difference in drinking, smoking, past medical history between hyperuricemic group and normouricemic group. In hyperuricemic group, the frequences of obesity, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia and elevated LDL-cholesterol are significantly higher than that in normouricemic group. In normouricemic male group, the frequency of hyperglycemia is significantly higher than that in hyperuricemic group.

Conclusion : The frequency of hyperuricemia in normal population is 19.2% in men, 4.4% in women. Hyperuricemia has strongly correlated to several risk factors of atherosclerosis.