[Management of hyperuricemia in occupational health: with reference to "guidelines for the management of hyperuricemia and gout"].

In 1996, the need for the clinical guidelines for the management of hyperuricemia and gout was proposed of the consensus conference held at the 29th annual meeting of the Japanese Society of Purine and Pyrimidine Metabolism (president Yuji Matsuzawa). At the consensus conference, the following announcement was made. 1. Because the majority of patients with hyperuricemia are in the condition of multiple risk factor clustering syndrome, hyperuricemia per se should be counted as one of the typical lifestyle related diseases. 2. Medical management should be directed independently for the treatment of gouty arthritis and for control of the serum uric acid level. 3. The serum uric acid level should be taken into account as a possible cardiovascular risk factor. 4. Urine alkalization should be started if there is no symptom indicating hyperuricemia for the prophylaxis of urinary stones and renal dysfunction. 5. All the medical management should be considered under the consensus of the many expert physicians dealing with hyperuricemia and gout. This principal announcement was made by the consensus conference and the simple management recommendation of a 6-7-8 rule was proposed through the consensus of expert physicians. Recently, a guideline committee was organized in the Japanese Society of Gout and Nucleic Acid Metabolism (previous by the Japanese Society of Purine and Pyrimidine Metabolism) and the Guidelines for the Management of Hyperuricemia and Gout were prereleased in February and published in August 2002. In the new guidelines, the above policy was introduced and evidence was collected to give the guidelines contemporary clinical usefulness and value. It will help in the proper management of hyperuricemia in apparently healthy persons in occupational health, having multiple risk factors.