We conducted a prospective cohort study to clarify the effect of the change in serum uric acid levels (SUA) on mortality among 12,017male workers aged 40 to 55 years. Baseline data were collected 2 times at 5 year intervals, during health examinations. Vital status was followed after the second visit, and the average observation period was 4.2 years. Subjects were divided into 3 groups according to the change in SUA, ascended, unchanged, and descended. A positive association was observed between SUA change and mortality. The relative risk (RR) was 0.92,1.0,1.10and 2.09, in the groups SUA 1-1.9mg/dl descended, unchanged,1-1.9mg/dl ascended and over 2 mg/dl ascended, respectively. When SUA descended by over 2 mg/dl, RR was 1.32. When we analyzed the subjects by the SUA of the first visit, RR increased when SUA ascended by over 2 mg/dl, even in the group whose first SUA was under 6.4mg/dl. RR was 21.3 (p<0.01), when SUA ascended by over 1 mg/dl in the group whose first SUA level was over 8.5mg/dl.
