Serum Urate in Healthy Men — Intermittent Elevations and Seasonal Effect

EPIDEMIOLOGIC surveys of serum mate levels have been interpreted to indicate that multiple factors,1 , 2 including race,3 , 4 social stratum,5 , 6 intelligence,7 , 8 and stress,9 , 10 influence the prevalence of hyperuricemia in otherwise healthy persons. Unfortunately, many of these surveys are cross-sectional and do not take into consideration the possibility that there may be diurnal or seasonal variations in serum urate concentrations. In fact, substantial variations may occur when serum urate levels are measured in the same person during a 24-hour period,11 , 12 or when tests are repeated over several weeks.13 Materials and MethodsTo determine the influence of season, serum mate measurements were performed at . . .