Abstract
The frequency of hyperuricemia in the Japanese male population has been estimated by using data of regular health checkups conducted by companies or thorough medical examinations. These data have shown that the frequency of hyperuricemia is lower in men in their 40s or older than in men in their 30s. In general, the rate of obesity, which closely correlates with hyperuricemia, is higher in men in their 40s or older than in men in their 30s in Japan. Furthermore, alcohol consumption, which also closely correlates with hyperuricemia, is also higher in men in their 40s or older. To elucidate the cause for the lower frequency of hyperuricemia in older men, we used data of health insurance claims to obtain the rates of prescribing urate-lowering drugs in different age groups. The rates of prescribing urate-lowering drugs increased as age increased (30s : 1.2%, 40s : 3.3%, 50s : 5.8%, 60s : 9.8%), and these rates seem to provide an explanation for the difference in frequency of hyperuricemia among age groups. Our results suggest that the lower frequency of hyperuricemia in men in their 40s or older than in men in their 30s is largely due to treatment with urate-lowering drugs.
