Change in serum uric acid between baseline and 1-year follow-up and its associated factors in male subjects

A number of cross-sectional analysis studies have been conducted to determine the relationships between serum uric acid and related variables or clinical manifestations. However, few data related to changes in serum uric acid within the same cohort population at two separate periods of time have been reported. In this study, we investigated the changes in serum uric acid in a population from baseline to 1-year follow-up and examined the associations with related parameters and medical conditions. A total of 1,437 eligible male subjects who underwent 2 medical examinations at a health promotion center at an interval of approximately 12 months were enrolled in this study. Data were obtained from routine physical assessments such as blood pressure, height, waist circumference, blood analyses for liver function, renal function, lipid profile, and electrolytes, along with standardized questionnaires including self-reported data. In this population, serum uric acid was significantly increased at 1-year follow-up compared with the baseline level (5.94 ± 1.20 vs 5.99 ± 1.22, p = 0.003). Changes of some confounders such as total bilirubin, creatinine, BUN, phosphorus, total cholesterol, and triglyceride were significantly associated with changes in serum uric acid. Among them, serum creatinine may be the most influential in determining the serum uric acid level (odds ratio = 21.691, 95%CI = 5.110–92.086). A change of serum uric acid over 1 year did not seem to affect changes in the clinical status for some medical conditions including hypertension, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic syndrome. This analysis showed that a change in serum creatinine level between baseline and 1-year follow-up might be the most potent factor affecting a change in serum uric acid in healthy, male subjects. Changes of serum uric acid did not show any meaningful impact on the development of hypertension, heart failure, diabetes mellitus, and metabolic syndrome in this 1-year follow-up study.